United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia hits quarter billion-dollar milestone in Fiscal Year 2025

MARTINSBURG, WV - In Fiscal Year 2025, the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit (ACE Unit) of the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia (USAO NDWV) reached a major milestone by recovering over a quarter of a billion dollars in False Claims Act (FCA) and Controlled Substances Act (CSA) damages and civil penalties since the unit formed and actively began tracking this data in 2003.

The ACE Unit is responsible for civilly recovering damages resulting from government fraud, such as health care fraud, COVID-19 fraud, and contractor fraud. The ACE Unit also seeks civil penalties and administrative remedies against health care professionals engaged in the illegal diversion of controlled substances.

"Combatting fraud, waste, and abuse of government funds and preventing the illegal diversion of controlled substances, such as opioids, are among our top priorities," said United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. "Congratulations to the ACE Unit on reaching this milestone and be aware we intend to increase our efforts in the new year to continue to maximize these types of recoveries."

The ACE Unit was able to reach the $250,000,000 threshold by collecting $5,324,902 in recoveries in Fiscal Year 2025. In the largest civil settlement, four labor organizations agreed to pay a total of approximately $5.1 million dollars to settle allegations they violated the FCA by applying for and obtaining loans under the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for which they knew or should have known they were ineligible.

Additionally in Fiscal Year 2025, the USAO NDWV recovered close to $1.5 million in restitution for crime victims and asset forfeiture actions. The office also obtained the forfeiture of firearms and other items of property involved in criminal offenses.