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AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin construction company and its owner have settled one case relating to alleged violations of the False Claims Act.
According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Jose Muniz, owner of Muniz Concrete, paid US $ 188,879.59 to “investigate allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by falsely complying with certain Disadvantaged Business requirements Enterprise’s Department of Transportation (“DBE”) program. “
The DOJ said the DBE program aims to eradicate the ongoing discrimination and impact of past discrimination in government-sponsored contracts financially supporting highway, transit, airport and highway security transportation. According to DOJ officials, only small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged people are allowed to participate in the program.
In the case settled in court, the USA asserted that from 2017 Muniz would no longer be “economically disadvantaged” because its assets had exceeded the threshold for qualification for the DBE program. According to the DOJ, Muniz issued several false certificates of his assets after 2017 so that he and his company could continue to receive government-sponsored DBE contracts issued through the city of Austin and the Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority (CapMetro).
The claims settled by the settlement are only allegations and no liability decision has been made, DOJ officials said.
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/muniz-concrete-settle-false-claims-act-violation-allegations/269-0b0ca959-11d2-4c76-8c6a-e91863578137
