Vda Oc Llc, Wage Fixing, Nevada 2023

Healthcare company VDA OC LLC (VDA) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to suppress wages of school nurses in Nevada, according to a court sentencing. The company, formerly known as Advantage On Call, LLC, was one of two primary providers of contract nursing services to the Clark County School District.

During the conspiracy, from about October 2016 until July 2017, VDA participated in a conspiracy with another contract healthcare staffing firm to suppress and eliminate competition by agreeing to allocate nurses and fix the wages of those nurses. VDA was found guilty of entering into and engaging in a conspiracy with a competitor to allocate employee nurses and to fix the wages of those nurses.

On February 22, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Richard F. Boulware II sentenced VDA to pay a $62,000 criminal fine and $72,000 in restitution to victim nurses. The court’s sentence will compensate the hardworking healthcare workers who were victims of this crime.

“Free and open labor markets are a cornerstone of the American dream,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that workers receive competitive wages and a fair chance to pursue better work and that criminals who conspire to deprive them of those rights are held accountable.

“Protecting workers from antitrust schemes – such as wage-fixing and employee allocation – remains a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We are committed to working with the Antitrust Division and FBI to prosecute anticompetitive conduct that affects opportunities for workers and the labor market.”

The investigation was conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the FBI’s International Corruption Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

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