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JULY 24, 2000

The Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma has settled a civil lawsuit complaint filed against them by the government under the federal False Claims Act.

The tribe will pay $45,000 over allegations that they illegally sold $260,342.96 worth of government equipment obtained through the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The amount to be paid by the tribe reflects their financial status. Under the False Claims Act, the tribe could have been forced to pay triple the damages plus additional amounts for each individual claim filed.

The government filed suit against the tribe in February. The claims were dated from April 1993 to February 1996.

Under a program instituted by the government, the tribe was to use surplus property such as vehicles, fork lifts, and other heavy equipment in community service contracts or to create a heavy equipment school. The government alleges the tribe sold or traded the equipment instead.

Government officials said they could trace the $260,342.96 amount to deposits made in the tribe's band account.

The False Claims Act is also known as a "whistleblower" law in which individuals can bring actions against companies or entities for defrauding the government. The government can choose to take over the suit.

Whistleblowers get a percentage of an award if they win their case. There is no indication of a whisteblower in the Wyandotte case.

Get the Story:
Wyandotte tribe pays government to settle complaint (AP 7/24)
Suit with tribe settled (The Tulsa World 7/23)

Relevant Links:
The False Claims Act - www.taf.org/taf/docs/quitam.html
The Qui Tam (False Claims) Online Network - www.quitamonline.com