RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC, has agreed to pay $6.5 million to settle claims of fraudulent overcharges to the U.S. Department of Energy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
The allegations involved WRPS inflating labor hours charged to the DOE, failing to provide sufficient work for employees, and directing them to falsely record full shifts. This settlement includes $3 million in restitution, more than double the damages to DOE and taxpayers.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker highlighted WRPS’s history, stating, “This is unfortunately not the first time that WRPS has settled allegations of committing fraud on the Tank Farms Contract.”
A whistleblower, known as a “Relator,” got the ball rolling in December 2022 by filing a qui tam complaint under the False Claims Act, leading to this settlement. The relator will receive $1.4 million of the settlement and coverage of attorney fees.
Barker praised the whistleblower, noting, “We are able to uncover fraud and hold fraudsters accountable only when good people come forward and report it to law enforcement.”
Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Lewe Sessions emphasized the importance of maintaining contract integrity, stating, “This settlement is a result of our staff’s dedicated work to ensure public funds are used for the mission-related purposes for which they are intended.”
The investigation was a joint effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General.
