Matthew Courtney, False Claims Act, Louisiana 2017

Matthew Courtney to Pay $700,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

In a shocking turn of events, Matthew Courtney, the owner of two schools, Louisiana Shooters Unlimited and Arete Training Group, has agreed to pay $700,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act.

The United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced the settlement, which resolves allegations that Courtney submitted false claims in order to obtain payments from the VA. The United States contends that during the period from March 2013 through September 2017, Courtney represented to the VA that Arete and LSU were in compliance with 38 C.F.R. § 21.4201 and 38 U.S.C. § 3680A (commonly known as the 85-15 Rule), when the schools were not.

Courtney also created false enrollments for VA students for particular courses when they did not enroll in the courses. Furthermore, Courtney failed to notify the VA when a student failed to attend a course and when a student dropped a course. By doing so, Courtney failed to repay the overpayment that was due to the VA.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General with the investigation leading to the settlement.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Loan “Mimi” Nguyen and Shirin Hakimzedah.

Courtney’s actions have left many in the community stunned. The settlement is a stark reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in our educational institutions.

The exact criminal charges against Courtney include violating the False Claims Act. The city and state where the crime took place are New Orleans, Louisiana. The exact date of the crime is not specified, but the period of the alleged offenses is from March 2013 through September 2017. The sentence or outcome of the case is that Courtney will pay $700,000 to resolve the allegations.

Mandatory facts: Defendant/respondent name - Matthew Courtney, Exact criminal charges - Violating the False Claims Act, City and state - New Orleans, Louisiana, Exact date - March 2013 through September 2017, Sentence or outcome - Paying $700,000 to resolve allegations.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/matthew-courtney-pay-700000-settle-false-claims-act-allegations