ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Frazier Aviation, Inc., located in San Fernando, California, and its former chief executive agreed to settle False Claims Act allegations involving the sale of aircraft parts to the government. As part of the settlement, Frazier Aviation’s former chief executive will pay $4.9 million to the United States.
The settlement began with a lawsuit, United States ex rel. Heather Elliott v. Frazier Aviation, Inc. et al., filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims presented to the federal government.
The settlement resolves allegations that Frazier Aviation improperly marketed and sold aircraft parts that used Lockheed Martin’s Commercial and Government Entity code without authorization. The settlement also resolves allegations that Frazier Aviation used unauthorized subcontractors to manufacture parts that did not meet applicable quality standards. After the United States declined to intervene but still continued its investigation, the whistleblower proceeded with litigation. Frazier Aviation and its former chief executive agreed to resolve the allegations in the lawsuit, and the United States consented to the settlement. The whistleblower will receive a share of the settlement. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Kapoor with the assistance of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Case records may be found on PACER under case number 1:23-cv-881 (DJN/IDD) (E.D. Va.).