New York City settles U.S. claims over Superstorm Sandy
By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City reached a $5.3 million settlement on Wednesday to resolve charges it improperly billed the U.S. government for damage to city vehicles caused by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.
The accord resolves claims that the city falsely certified to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in May 2014 that the storm had damaged Department of Transportation (DOT) vehicles beyond repair, entitling it to funds for replacements.
According to the federal government, many of the 132 passenger, commercial and heavy equipment vehicles covered by the certification had been damaged or left inoperable long before Sandy and were therefore ineligible for indemnification.
The settlement calls for New York City to pay the federal government $4.13 million, and give up a potential $1.18 million of additional reimbursement.
New York City admitted and accepted responsibility for the alleged false certification to FEMA, which the government said violated the federal False Claims Act.
A judge must approve the settlement, which was filed in Manhattan federal court.
DOT spokesman Scott Gastel said the department has cooperated with the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan since learning about possible improper reimbursements in 2016.
He also said the department has installed a new compliance officer and a centralized tracking system for its thousands of vehicles, "to reduce the risk of this ever happening again."
The office of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman had no immediate additional comment.
Sandy's storm surge hit New York City on Oct. 29, 2012. The storm caused widespread power outages, street and subway flooding, and an estimated 43 deaths and $19 billion of property damage there.
The case is U.S. v City of New York, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 19-01588.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Brendan Pierson; Editing by Tom Brown, Sonya Hepinstall, Susan Thomas and Diane Craft)
