This is an interesting story involving a deputy jailer, who feels he was retaliated against for conducting an investigation into alleged corruption at a county detention center. Some of his findings, which appeared in his report, included the discovery that contraband smuggling was almost a way of life in the facility, and that there was a deputy having intimate relations with an inmate. This particular case happened in Kentucky, but it could easily happen in any other state, including Ohio.

Bound by duty and a strong moral code, the deputy jailer filed a lawsuit asking for protection and damages under Kentucky’s Whistleblower Act. He is further seeking lost benefits, and punitive and compensatory damages, attorney fees and costs. The Kentucky Whistleblower Act, like most whistleblower legislation in other states, bans retaliation against workers who report bad conditions or practices occurring in their workplaces.

Named in the lawsuit was the head jailer, who was accused of not properly investigating the claims made by the deputy jailer and who demoted the deputy jailer after he passed the serious information in his report on to the Kentucky State Police. As part of the statement of claim, the deputy jailer stated the chief jailer told him to put a lid on the investigation, telling him he wanted no part of the report in any way, shape or form. Shortly after the report was handed in, the deputy jailer began to receive disciplinary write-ups and was subsequently stripped of his investigator duties and demoted to a floor deputy.

In Kentucky, the whistleblower law does not dictate that an individual with serious concerns, like the ones in this case, follow the chain of command. Even though he attempted to do so, he was made painfully aware that the deputies at the local jail repeatedly turned a blind-eye to smuggling. Based on the nature of the report filed by the deputy jailer, and his further observations and allegations, the State Police launched an investigation into the facility.

They were less than impressed with the jailer who was having sexual relations with a female inmate – a flagrant violation of the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act. Interestingly, the jailer accused of having sex with an inmate, even though later cleared of the allegation, was ultimately fired when he refused to resign. He filed a wrongful termination lawsuit.

If you are in a situation where you see something illegal going on around you, reach out and contact an experienced Ohio whistleblower attorney. These cases are difficult and you will want to know what will happen when you file suit and what the possible outcome may be.

Tom Robenalt is a Cleveland, Ohio whistleblower attorney To learn more, visit Christophermellino.com.

How many people do you know who have dreamt, and maybe even tried, to rip the government off when it comes
to filing taxes or for performing work they did not perform? Stories abound about it. Movies are made featuring
big wheels with lots of money, trying to hide it “somehow”.

Lately, the “somehow”, is to attempt to defraud the federal government by helping other commit tax evasion
and committing other forms of fraud, such as Medicare overbilling, by using the wrong codes, or performing
unnecessary procedures, or billing for procedures not performed. The possibilities for ripping the federal
government off are legion, and whistleblowers have many an opportunity to blow.

Call it under reporting, or fiddling with the numbers, or an indirect fabrication about the facts, but the fact is, fraud
is alive and well, and living in the U.S. As Cleveland, Ohio whistleblower attorneys, we are seeing an increase in
cases such as this.

Sometimes perpetrators get away with it, for a period of time, and then, the government catches up with them.
Consider the latest story to hit the media; a record breaking $104 million award to an IRS informant. There is more
to this story, but the salient point is the informant was a former banker, who revealed a scheme commonly used
by banks, which helped clients to evade paying taxes.

The former banker, now a convicted felon, was paid one of the largest rewards in history by the IRS for his
information. The tax cheat facilitator turned himself in, offering information to prosecute himself, and his now
former client. On prosecution, the IRS and their attorneys acknowledged they could not have succeeded without
his information and cooperation. Said banker ratted on a tax cheat he was helping, went to jail and will come
out 40-months later a millionaire. Indeed, truth is stranger than fiction. Not all cases are like this one. This is an
exception to the usual rule of thumb.

Can anyone turn in a tax cheat or reveal a scheme to defraud the government? Yes, however there are some
rules and regulations you need to know about. Documentation of the scheme is king, as is confidentiality. The
whistleblower program has been revamped and there are several criteria: the large awards program and the not so
large awards program, with the distinction being the percentage of reward an informant may garner later.

The large awards program is applicable when taxes, penalties and interest on a fraud case are in excess of $2
million or, if the taxpayer is an individual whose gross income is in excess of $200,000. Under this program, the
award percentages run from 15 percent to 30 percent of what is ultimately collected after prosecution. The not so
large awards program is for those who do not qualify under the large awards program, and offers 15 percent of the
actual collected proceeds.

You definitely need expert legal assistance from a Cleveland, Ohio whistleblower attorney, to file a whistleblower’s
case. This is because the IRS wants any submissions to make sense, come complete with legal evidence and an
attorney’s memorandum spelling out the law. If it is easy for them to pick up the complaint and run with it, the
chances are higher it will be pursued to conclusion.

Keep in mind whistleblower cases are not about keeping things short, sweet and simple. They typically are lengthy
matters: however, new rules have been passed to expedite the process in certain cases. Your attorney will explain
the situation.

Tom Robenalt is a Cleveland, Ohio whistleblower attorney To learn more, visit Christophermellino.com.