Two Firms to Pay $1,816,943 to Settle PPP False Claims Allegations Over Employee-Count Statements
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced in Alexandria on October 21 that Securiport Limited Liability Company and Alex Stewart International, LLC (ASI) have agreed to pay a combined $1,816,943 to settle civil False Claims Act allegations arising from statements on their applications for Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
The United States alleged that Securiport and ASI received Second Draw PPP loans, which were later forgiven, after submitting false statements on their loan applications that they, together with their affiliates, had no more than 300 employees — an eligibility requirement specific to Second Draw PPP loans. Based on that purported false statement, the government alleged, the two companies falsely certified that they were eligible.
The settlement began with a whistleblower lawsuit, United States ex rel. Verity Investigations, LLC v. Securiport Limited Liability Company, No. 1:25-cv-2027, filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to sue on behalf of the United States. The whistleblower received 10 percent of the government's recovery. The resolution was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tannenbaum.
The claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Alexandria 的 Albert V. Bryan 联邦法院正义雕像（本案诉讼地法院，资料图）。Tim Evanson 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，取自维基共享资源。Photo: The Spirit of Justice statue at the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria (file photo). By Tim Evanson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
