Amphenol Corp. to pay $18M in settlement with U.S. government
Photo | Michelle Tuccitto Sullo
Amphenol headquarters in Wallingford.
A major producer of electronic and fiber optic connectors based in Wallingford will pay $18 million to resolve allegations that it violated the federal False Claims Act by selling non-compliant electrical connectors to the U.S. military.
Authorities say Amphenol Corp. failed to meet testing standards and other requirements when it sold the electrical connectors, and then submitted false claims to a government monitoring agency.
The U.S. military and government buys tanks, fighter jets, rockets, missiles, and other equipment and weapon systems containing electrical connectors manufactured by Amphenol.
Government contracts and regulations require the products to meet military specifications.
“Defense contractors agree to follow strict manufacturing and testing protocols so that taxpayers receive the equipment they pay for,” said Carla B. Freedman, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York. “These high standards also ensure that our service members have the reliable equipment that they expect and deserve.”
Freedman said the $18 million settlement “holds Amphenol accountable for its failure to meet those high standards for specific electrical connectors.”
As part of the settlement, Amphenol admitted that it manufactured and sold non-compliant electrical connectors directly and indirectly to the U.S. government between 2012 and 2017.
Also, Amphenol failed to complete required testing and failed to report testing failures to the Defense Logistics Agency, authorities say.
Between 2012 and at least March 2016, Amphenol also obtained parts and components from sources that the Defense Logistics Agency did not authorize, which Amphenol used in the assembly and manufacture of six products sold to the government, according to authorities.
The settlement with Amphenol was the result of efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York; the Defense Logistics Agency; the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division; the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General.
Amphenol issued the following statement: "Amphenol is pleased to have resolved this legacy matter with the U.S. Department of Defense and we look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with the U.S. government."
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