October 03, 2007
A Detroit contractor who gave cash and gifts to an airport official to obtain $30 million in airport contracts has agreed to pay the United States $1.5 million to settle a False Claims Act suit.
The suit was filed under the qui tam provisions of the Act by whistleblowers who discovered the fraud. They blew the whistle on Frank Vallecorsa and his company, American International Inc., after discovering that Vallecorsa had accelerated his airport contract so he could overcharge Detroit Metro Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to a September 29, 2007 article in the Detroit Free Press, Vallecorsa also agreed to lifetime ban on receiving federal contracts.