WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Andrew Grosso & Associates, a District of Columbia law firm, announced today the settlement of a lawsuit brought by James J. Hughes against PAE Applied Technologies LLC, a defense contractor based in Arlington, Virginia. The lawsuit was brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the federal False Claims Act.
The allegations in the lawsuit include the following. PAE provided services to the United States Air Force at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma under a contract relating to aircraft maintenance and support. PAE was entitled to reimbursement from the Government for the wages of its employees for work performed under the contract, and a Collective Bargaining Agreement required wage increases and certain wage caps for those employees. PAE presented claims to the Government seeking reimbursement for supposed wages, in excess of the wage caps, doing so under false pretenses.
The Department of Justice intervened in the lawsuit on behalf of the United States. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, PAE will pay $4.2 million to the United States. Mr. Hughes will receive 20% of this amount for his role as a Relator in litigating this lawsuit. Notwithstanding the settlement agreement, there is no admission by PAE to the allegations made in the Complaint.
The case is United States of America ex rel. James John Hughes v. PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Case No. CIV- 15-0544-L, filed in federal court in the Western District of Oklahoma. Mr. Hughes was represented by Andrew Grosso & Associates, a law firm concentrating in false claims, whistleblower, and hi-tech litigation. The firm’s website is www.GrossoLaw.com.