Customs Fraud & Retaliation Against Whistleblowers

Atlanta Whistleblower Lawyer – (404) 550-4615

Do you know about a company, importer, exporter, or customs broker that is cheating U.S. Customs by not paying tariffs or duties?

If you file suit under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729 and following, then as a whistleblower you can collect the money the importer should have paid, and you get a percentage of everything the United States collects as a result.

If your employer retaliates against you after you were brave enough to step up and tell the truth, the law also gives you the right to collect back pay, front pay, and other damages. Customs fraud cases are very specialized, so it is important that you work with an experienced Atlanta customs fraud lawyer for proper guidance and help.

Contact us today to speak with an attorney about your whistleblower case involving customs fraud.

Aggressive Atlanta Customs Fraud Whistleblower Attorney

Lee Wallace is experienced, and has the respect of her peers. She has received numerous accolades for her high-quality service and impressive results.

Some of Attorney Lee Wallace’s awards include the following – which are all voted by other lawyers:

  • Georgia Super Lawyers®
  • “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Georgia”
  • “Top 100 Lawyers in Georgia”

A cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, she exclusively takes the side of the whistleblower in a qui tam suit.

Importers That Cheat Customs Undermine U.S. Policy

When an importer commits fraud and refuses to pay duties and tariffs, the company subverts the U.S. policies that Congress has laid out.

For example, in 19 C.F.R. § 10.171, the United States Congress authorized the President to give duty-free status to “beneficiary developing countries.” Congress’ intent is to encourage economic development in those countries. Do you know of an unscrupulous importer or customs broker that is claiming GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) status for goods that did not come from a BDE? That importer is committing fraud, and undermining the goals that Congress was trying to accomplish.

Tariffs are designed specifically by Congress to:

  • Discourage other countries that are setting stiff duties for U.S. companies that want to send items into their countries. Congress uses the customs duties as “countervailing duties” in order to try to prevent other countries from gaining an unfair competitive advantage over U.S. manufacturers.
  • As an “antidumping” measure – to prevent foreign countries from subsidizing industries and dumping huge quantities of goods in our country, placing U.S. manufacturers at a terrible competitive disadvantage.

Know of someone who is pretending to send goods from a country that is not subject to these countervailing duties or antidumping measures, when the person really is importing the items from a country that is subject to them?

You should contact us today for a FREE case review.

Importers Who Avoid Paying Duties Are Stealing from the U.S.

Of course, customs duties are a source of revenue for the United States, and are all the more important in bad economic times.

What constituted fraudulent activity by importers?

  • When an importer says that goods are coming into the U.S. from one country, when in fact they are coming from another country;
  • When an importer claims that only a certain number of goods are being imported, when really it is importing far more goods;
  • When a foreign company says the goods it is bringing into the country are worth one amount, when in fact they are worth far more;
  • When the company claims that it is bringing in one type of goods (subject to one duty), when in fact it is bringing in goods that are subject to a much higher duty

In all of these instances, the company and/or its customs broker are committing fraud against the United States government, and cheating U.S. citizens of the revenue they were supposed to get from the manufacturer. The False Claims Act gives you a tool to fight back against this fraud, and to make up your losses if you suffer job retaliation as a result.

We have what it takes to help your whistleblower case in Atlanta. Call our office at (404) 550-4615 to begin.