A Florida wireless company and its chief executive will pay more than $128 million to settle civil and criminal allegations that they defrauded a federal low-income telecommunications program, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Q Link Wireless LLC, of Dania Beach, Florida and CEO Issa Asad, allegedly devised a scheme to defraud the Lifeline Program, a nearly $2 billion Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that helps low-income individuals pay their cell phone bills. Consumers must meet income and cell phone usage requirements to participate. Telecommunication companies must verify that customers meet the program qualifications before seeking reimbursement from the federal government for the discounts they provided.
