RIDLEY PARK, PA — The Boeing Company will pay $8,100,000 to settle government allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. The United States contends that Boeing failed to adhere to critical manufacturing specifications for composite parts in the V-22 Osprey military aircraft.
The allegations were initially brought forth by three whistleblowers who worked at Boeing’s Ridley Park manufacturing facility. According to the government, Boeing falsely certified compliance with required manufacturing protocols, including the performance of autoclaves used for curing composite parts. These autoclaves are supposed to undergo monthly checks to ensure uniform temperature during the curing process, among other requirements.
The United States alleges that Boeing failed to conduct these checks from 2007 to 2018. Specifically, Boeing is accused of not performing monthly temperature uniformity surveys, neglecting to maintain required documents, and failing to ensure current calibration and certification tags on autoclaves.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Jacqueline C. Romero, emphasized the importance of adhering to manufacturing requirements for military equipment, stating, “Taxpayers deserve to get what they pay for, and members of our military deserve to know that no shortcuts have been taken.”
Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Special Agent-in-Charge Greg Gross of the Navy Criminal Investigative Service, also affirmed their commitment to maintaining the integrity of the military supply chain.
The whistleblowers will collectively receive $1,539,000 of the settlement amount. The investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel M. Sweet and David A. Degnan, along with other investigators and attorneys from multiple agencies.
Boeing’s settlement is not an admission of liability under the False Claims Act.