Qui Tam Relator Charged with Making False Statements to the Government
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 21, 2011 |
PHILADELPHIA—William G. Burch, a former employee of Champion Laboratories, Inc. (“Champion”), was charged by information today in connection with making false statements to the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The charges allege that Burch falsified a price increase letter and submitted it to the Antitrust Division in Philadelphia in order to bolster his claim of pervasive price fixing among auto filter manufacturers. According to the charges, Burch took these actions in order to influence the Antitrust Division to open a criminal grand jury investigation into price fixing in the replacement filters market.
In April and May, 2008, it is alleged that, after filing a qui tam lawsuit against Champion and others, Burch presented the falsified document to the Antitrust Division, and made false statements about that document. The charges allege further that the Antitrust Division in Philadelphia opened a grand jury investigation to determine whether manufacturers of automobile aftermarket filters had entered into a criminal price-fixing conspiracy, which the Antitrust Division would not have done had it been aware that Burch had falsified the price increase letter.
Information Regarding the Defendant
Name: William G. Burch
Address: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Age or Year of Birth: 52
If convicted, Burch faces a maximum possible sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and restitution.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary E. Crawley.