Baron & Budd Obtains Record Settlement in Restaurant Revitalization Fraud Lawsuit Against CoreLife Eatery, LLC
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the national law firm Baron & Budd announced a record $7.8 million settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit brought under the False Claims Act against CoreLife Eatery, LLC for defrauding the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). This is the largest RRF settlement under the False Claims Act to date.
The RRF was established in 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act to provide financial assistance to restaurants and other food-service businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, businesses that owned or operated more than 20 locations as of March 13, 2020 were not eligible for the funding.
As part of the settlement, CoreLife acknowledged that, on March 13, 2020, CoreLife and its affiliates owned and operated 29 restaurants across five different states. Nevertheless, CoreLife applied for and received an RRF grant for nearly $4 million after certifying that it did not own or operate more than 20 locations.
'The RRF was designed to funnel aid to small restaurant businesses that otherwise could not survive the COVID-19 pandemic,' said Baron & Budd attorney Noah Rich. 'When large restaurant chains and other ineligible applicants received this assistance instead, they kept small businesses from receiving vital relief.'
The federal government has made the prosecution of these cases a priority and needs whistleblowers to come forward with information about RRF fraud. This type of fraud harmed small business owners struggling to keep their businesses operational during the pandemic. Often, whistleblower suits are the only way in which this fraud is uncovered, investigated, and punished.
Whistleblowers who have information about RRF fraud may bring lawsuits under the False Claims Act (FCA). Whistleblowers can receive a monetary award for a successful enforcement action. Under the FCA whistleblower program, whistleblowers are afforded certain confidentiality and anti-retaliation protections. It is important to seek the counsel of a whistleblower attorney in these cases.
For more information, visit www.becomeawhistleblower.com.
About Baron & Budd, P.C.
Baron & Budd, P.C. is among the largest and most accomplished plaintiffs' law firms in the country. With more than 40 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of public entities and tens of thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, wildfires, environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Skift
9 minutes ago
- Skift
Planners Fear Immigration Crackdowns Will Make Hotel Labor Shortages Worse: Exclusive Survey
The hospitality industry has struggled with a labor shortage since the Covid pandemic. Now, immigration enforcement and an anti-immigrant sentiment are adding a new layer of complexity. An exclusive Skift Meetings survey of U.S. planners shows that they expect to grapple with the effects of Trump-era immigration policies on their events, with growing concern about hotel staffing across the board. More than two-thirds of respondents (72%) said they expect hotel staffing to be affected in 2025–2026 because of immigration policies. Only 13% foresaw no impact. 'Hotel staffing never fully bounced back after the pandemic. We're still experiencing some gaps in service in certain markets and at certain properties,' said Kyle Jordan, director of meetings at the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences (INFORMS). Staffing issues are being felt at more than hotels. 'Challenges extend to other key partners like AV providers and vendors that support our meetings,' said Jordan. 'While it's hard to predict the full impact, I would expect that deportation activity could further strain staffing in some destinations.' Concerns stem not just from general staffing shortages but also the effect of revived immigration enforcement policies. 'The main issue is that for many workers in hotels, while they may be legal immigrants, the feeling toward immigrants in general has turned toxic,' said Mark Phillips, CEO of LamontCo. 'No one wants to live and work in such an environment or put families through it, so over time we will see less available even legal immigrant workforces. It already appears to be happening in several cities.' ICE Raids and Protests Exacerbate Immigration Issues In Los Angeles, several days of protests followed large-scale immigration raids by ICE. Protests have spread to other U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C, and New York City. a'The hospitality industry relies heavily on immigrant labor especially in back-of-house roles like housekeeping, food and beverage service, and maintenance. Stricter immigration enforcement, increased deportations, and general anti-immigration rhetoric have created fear and uncertainty among these workers, not to mention ICE raids, and I-9 audits. This leads some to leave the industry or self-deport, reducing the labor pool, making it even harder for hotels to fill critical positions,' said Robert Kraus, founder of Small Conferences. Kraus added that there are concerns about the future of the H-2B visa program and similar initiatives. 'There's also a worry that H-2B visas and other temporary worker programs will be curtailed plus general apprehension on potential workers to risk coming to the U.S. just to be told they can't enter or later be sent home only after a short amount of time. This could easily limit the number of foreign workers applying, which is critical for meeting seasonal demands of resorts and other hospitality businesses.' Labor shortages have already disrupted event logistics.'In several cases, my groups suffered through multi-hour lunch services because the hotel restaurant kitchen could not keep up with demand,' he said. Legal Compliance Doesn't Eliminate Anxiety Michael Dominguez, president and CEO of ALHI, argues that deportation is not necessarily a direct impact to hotel staffing. 'It has been required by law for any employee to complete an I-9 form, which verifies legal status and requires documentation,' said Dominguez. 'Any company or hotel not doing that is in violation of Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1986. Everyone working in a hotel needs documentation, or they are breaking the law.' Still, legal status does not erase worker anxiety, said Melanie Nathan, human rights advocate and executive director of the African Human Rights Coalition. 'I know people who are perfectly legal and who have filled in those I-9's who are too scared to go to work. They are standing back to try and ride out what they feel like is a storm. Some fear they might get picked up in workplaces where there are likely to be raids.' Guest Services and Sales Take a Hit The staffing crunch is also affecting guest experience and hotel revenue. 'Daily housekeeping is no longer a given. There are hotels where it is now every other day or on request,' said Akshar Patel, VP of corporate strategy and development at eShow Event Management Solutions and a hospitality expert. Beyond guest services, the staffing crunch is slowing business development efforts. 'A staffing shortage on the sales side is delaying RFPs,' said Patel. Andrea Milrad Heilweil, VP of sales and marketing at The Hutton Group, agrees. 'I have found that since Covid I have to be much more proactive with follow-up. Between people furloughed, laid off, or leaving the industry altogether, RFP responses, requests for contracts, setting up site visits, and general communication have been delayed.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Adds 12th Roundtrip Between San Diego and Los Angeles
New afternoon and evening trains between Los Angeles and San Diego offer travelers more flexibility along the Southern California coast ORANGE, Calif., June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency (Agency) today announced that the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner® train service has added more daily roundtrips between Los Angeles and San Diego, offering travelers greater flexibility and convenience along the Southern California coastal rail corridor. The expanded Pacific Surfliner schedule introduces new afternoon and evening travel options, providing better connections for both business and leisure passengers along the busiest state-supported intercity passenger rail route in the nation. "This service expansion provides more transportation options between San Diego and Los Angeles - just in time for summer travel," said LOSSAN Agency Chair and City of Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung. "It is the next step in restoring Pacific Surfliner service and creating more transportation options to Southern California's most popular events and destinations." Effective June 16, 2025, the Pacific Surfliner schedule will feature an additional southbound and northbound train: Southbound Train 582: Departs Los Angeles Union Station at 4:10 p.m., arriving at San Diego Santa Fe Depot at 7:04 p.m. Northbound Train 593: Departs San Diego Santa Fe Depot at 8:10 p.m., arriving at Los Angeles Union Station at 10:57 p.m. "This service expansion reflects our ongoing commitment to increase passenger rail access across Southern California," said LOSSAN Agency Managing Director Jason Jewell. "The additional frequencies offer greater travel flexibility while supporting a convenient, reliable transportation option." These additional roundtrips fill key gaps in the schedule, giving customers more flexibility to travel at times that better fit their plans. With tracks now fully open throughout the San Diego to San Luis Obispo corridor, Pacific Surfliner now offers 12 daily roundtrips between San Diego and Los Angeles, five daily roundtrips between San Diego and Goleta and three daily full-corridor roundtrips between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. In addition, Amtrak Thruway Bus Service offers guaranteed connections to Pacific Surfliner trains, extending travel options north to Oakland through Santa Barbara, Solvang, San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, and southeast to Indio through Fullerton, Riverside, Palm Springs and Palm Desert. The Pacific Surfliner route spans 351 miles through six counties, serving 29 stations from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. This schedule change marks a continued effort by the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency and its partners to enhance regional rail service and improve customer experience. It represents another step toward fully restoring service to levels that existed on the corridor prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included 13 daily Pacific Surfliner roundtrips along this segment of the corridor. All Pacific Surfliner trains feature comfortable, reclining seats with power outlets, complimentary Wi-Fi, bike and luggage racks, and a Market Café offering food and beverages, including California wines and local craft beer. Tickets are available now at via the Amtrak mobile app, or by calling 800-USA-RAIL. About the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner®The Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner® travels along a 351-mile coastal route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. It is the busiest state-supported intercity passenger rail route in the United States, serving nearly 3 million riders annually. About the LOSSAN Rail Corridor AgencyThe Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency is a joint powers authority overseeing the management of the Pacific Surfliner service. The agency works to improve rail service quality, safety, and reliability along one of the most heavily traveled rail corridors in the country. Visit to learn more. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bessent says US may 'roll the date forward' for some after 90-day tariff pause ends
(Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday said the Trump administration is prepared to "roll the date forward" with trading partners negotiating in good faith if the deadline marking the end of the 90-day pause on President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs is reached with no deal. "It is highly likely that those countries - or trading blocs as is the case with the EU - who are negotiating in good faith, we will roll the date forward to continue the good-faith negotiations," Bessent told the House Ways and Means Committee. "If someone is not negotiating, then we will not." Bessent's remarks, in response to a question from a Democratic lawmaker, marked the first time a Trump administration official has indicated some flexibility around the expiration date for the pause. That date - July 8 - is now just four weeks away, and so far the White House has struck only one preliminary deal with a major foreign trading partner affected by the pause, Britain. A deal struck on Tuesday in London with China to de-escalate that bilateral trade war is proceeding on a separate track and timeline. The White House did not immediately respond to a question about whether Trump shared Bessent's view. Trump announced the pause on April 9, a week after unveiling "Liberation Day" tariffs against nearly all U.S. trading partners that proved to be so unexpectedly large and sweeping that it sent global financial markets into near panic. The S&P 500 Index plunged more than 12% in four days for its heftiest run of losses since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Investors were so rattled they bailed out of safe-haven U.S. Treasury securities, sending bond yields rocketing higher. The dollar sank. Markets started their recovery on April 9 when Trump unexpectedly announced the pause. A further leg up in the recovery followed in early May when the Trump team reached a preliminary deal to dial back the triple-digit tariff rates it had imposed on goods from China. The events have given rise to what some on Wall Street have parodied as the "TACO" trade - an acronym for Trump Always Chickens Out. "The only time the market has reacted positively is when the administration is in retreat from key policy areas," Democratic Representative Don Beyer of Virginia told Bessent before pressing him on what should be expected at the end of the next deadline next month. "As I have said repeatedly there are 18 important trading partners. We are working toward deals with those," Bessent said before going on to signal a willingness to offer extensions to those negotiating in good faith. (Reporting By Dan Burns; Editing by Chris Reese and Daniel Wallis)
