By: Najla Alexander
NJ AG authorities announced that a Morris County tour company entered into a settlement agreement with the United States, resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which the company was not eligible.
According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:
Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello stated that Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses, according to NJ AG officials.
NJ AG officials say CIE Tours International Inc. (“CIE Tours”) applied for and received two PPP loans totaling $3,410,300, even though it was ineligible for the loans as an entity owned by the government of Ireland and because it exceeded the employee-size eligibility requirements.
CIE Tours then sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loans, NJ AG officials said. CIE Tours fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter.
In accordance with the terms of the settlement, CIE Tours agrees to pay the United States $4,428,985.04. According to NJ AG officials, the settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery.
In this matter, the Relator is receiving $428,985 as his share in the recovery, NJ AG officials stated. 
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.