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Government Contract Fraud

NCJ Number
100263
Author(s)
B C Elmer; J P Swennen; R L Beizer
Date Published
1985
Length
684 pages
Annotation
A comprehensive treatment of the legal and practical issues and ramifications of Federal procurement fraud is provided.
Abstract
Part 1 introduces the area of Government contract fraud, examines how and why fraud investigations developed, and considers future trends. It also discusses some agency efforts to combat program and contract fraud. Part 2 sets forth the core offenses and penalties, both civil and criminal and traditional and recent, for which contractors may be liable. Part 3 focuses on the investigators, the distribution of investigative duties, and the roles and responsibilities of different investigators as they relate to the contractor. Part 4 explains the power and workings of the Federal grand juries, including their history, the scope of secrecy in proceedings, and the role of the prosecutor. Part 5 reviews the investigative process from the initial question of who should represent the contractor to the sanctions that may be imposed for refusing to obey a court-ordered subpoena. Other topics covered include witness protection, privileged information, risks of parallel civil and criminal prosecution, and other legal and strategic issues. Finally, Part 6 views procurement investigations from a business and practical perspective. It sets forth the pros and cons of critical decisions that must be made in the course of an investigation and provides tactical advice on detecting and remedying fraud problems before they become the subject of investigation. Chapter notes, appendixes, a case table, and a subject index.