Veterans of the Land Inc., a California-based cemetery restoration company, agreed to pay $1 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that it falsely claimed disabled veteran-owned small business status to win VA national cemetery maintenance contracts.

Veterans of the Land Inc. — False Veteran Status Government Contract Fraud

Outcome: Veterans of the Land Inc., a California-based cemetery restoration company, agreed to pay $1 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that it falsely claimed disabled veteran-owned small business status to win VA national cemetery maintenance contracts.

Veterans of the Land Inc., a California-based company that provided restoration and maintenance services at national cemeteries and memorial sites, allegedly misrepresented its ownership status as a disabled veteran-owned small business. This false certification allowed the company to unfairly compete for and win government contracts set aside for service-disabled veterans, depriving legitimate disabled veteran-owned businesses of contracting opportunities.

The company agreed to pay $1 million to the federal government under the False Claims Act to resolve the allegations. The case highlights the ongoing risk of certification fraud in government contracting, particularly in specialized sectors like cemetery and memorial site maintenance where set-aside contracts represent significant revenue.

Primary Source: Berger Montague: Cemetery Restoration Company Lies About Veteran Ownership Status to Win Government Contracts