Outcome: $798,334 settlement | $151,683 whistleblower reward
Jonathan Tycko represented a whistleblower in a False Claims Act qui tam case against Homestar North America, LLC (Homestar NA), a ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer. The furniture manufacturer allegedly evaded Section 301 tariffs via a “dual invoicing” scheme whereby Homestar NA paid certain prices for the furniture pursuant to a “true” invoice, but then provided a second “false” invoice, showing lower prices, to U.S. Customs And Border Protection (CBP) with the “entry summaries,” which are the documents used to calculate the customs duties owed. The whistleblower was a Distribution Manager in the company’s warehouse. This case is the second time that the Department of Justice has intervened in a False Claims Act case alleging evasion of Section 301 tariffs. The government settled the case with Homestar for $798,334 and the whistleblower will receive a $151,683 reward or almost 19% of the settlement.