Florida telecomm and CEO pay $128M for alleged scheme to defraud FCC
A Florida wireless company and its CEO will pay more than $128 million to settle civil and potential criminal allegations that they defrauded a federal low-income telecommunications program, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Q Link Wireless LLC and owner Issa Asad, of Dania Beach, Florida, allegedly devised a scheme to defraud the Lifeline Program, a nearly $2 billion Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that helps people with low incomes with 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.
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