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Unlike many other states, Florida is a no-fault automobile insurance state. This means that all drivers are legally required to carry personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. PIP insurance is auto insurance coverage that pays for medical expenses, lost wages, and other related costs resulting from an auto accident, regardless of who is at fault. The […]

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, was passed by the 116th U.S. Congress and signed in response to the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The CARES Act established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which permitted the Small Business Association (SBA) to provide […]

Conspiracy to commit a crime – whether the planned crime takes place or not – is a criminal act that can be charged as a felony under Florida law. However, not all communications about a potential crime amount to conspiracy, and it is critical to distinguish idle and unserious talk from active engagement in a […]

Qui tam lawsuits are civil lawsuits that make a complaint of a false claim or fraud against a person or entity receiving federal or state funds. If the person or entity is liable, the whistleblower can recover a percentage of the recovery with the bulk of the recovery going to the federal program who was […]

Qui tam litigation hit record highs in 2022 and is now creating an industry of attorneys who specialize in the very complex qui tam cases. A qui tam case is vastly different from a medical malpractice lawsuit. In a medical malpractice lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges they were injured by the defective practice of medicine. The […]

An Ocala woman is facing 30 counts of wire fraud after unlawfully writing checks to herself from her place of employment.  As the bookkeeper for her employer, Julie Shepard, had direct access and authorization to write checks on behalf of her employer.  However, the owner grew suspicious that money was missing and an investigation by […]

Two men are headed to federal prison after duping investors to donate money to their “We Build the Wall” campaign.  Brian Kolfage, an airforce veteran who lost was injured in Irag, formed a non-profit organization designed to raise money for completing the border wall. Mr. Kolfage, who lost both legs and part of an arm […]

Two men are headed to federal prison after duping investors to donate money to their “We Build the Wall” campaign.  Brian Kolfage, an airforce veteran who lost was injured in Irag, formed a non-profit organization designed to raise money for completing the border wall. Mr. Kolfage, who lost both legs and part of an arm […]

One of the more complicated types of civil lawsuits that you often see in Florida courts are qui tam actions. A qui tam lawsuit is a type of whistleblower claim under the False Claims Act (FCA). Basically, if someone has evidence that a person or company has violated the FCA–i.e., fraudulently obtained money from the government–this whistleblower can file […]

A Phoenix woman who used her PPP loans to purchase luxury vehicles is now facing a five-year sentence in federal prison after her conviction on a fraud charge. While you can commit fraud against just about anyone, the federal government takes it personally when you defraud a pandemic relief program. In fact, there is a […]