Opinion ID: 2669594
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Verizon II

Text: Shea filed the present second qui tam action against Verizon (Verizon II) on June 5, 2009, and on September 12, 2012 filed a Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”). The SAC closely mirrors Shea’s complaint in Verizon I: (1) it too alleges a scheme by Verizon “to defraud the United States by knowingly billing the government for non-allowable surcharges,” SAC ¶ 1; (2) it traces Shea’s knowledge to “his experience consulting with large commercial telecommunications customers” through which he “learned that most telecommunication carriers, including . . . Verizon . . . had a custom and practice of charging [Non-Allowable Charges],” SAC ¶ 3; (3) it identifies the same 2004 document as the source of his information, SAC ¶ 4; and 4 (4) it alleges that Verizon “overcharged the United States, just like its commercial customers” by billing non-allowable charges on several government contracts. SAC ¶¶ 4, 28. The only difference between the 2007 Complaint and the SAC is that the SAC expands Shea’s allegations to more contracts, more charges, and more governmental agencies.