25 years old and deep in debt

[The Brain]

 

[Ideologue]

 

[Eddie Teach]

I'm sure aliens like having money too. 

[Syt]

I'm sure aliens like having money too. 

So you consider Jews to be aliens? Raciss!

[Savonarola]

My alma mater for graduate school made the news 

Fired professor sues Wayne State University, claims it bilked millions from U.S.

Thousand-dollar rats. Inflated salaries. Phony surgical supply requests.

The government paid Wayne State University for all of this and more, according to a whistle-blower lawsuit that's been secretly unfolding in federal court, where a former medical school professor claims the university bilked more than $169 million in research grant money from the U.S. government.

The lawsuit, filed in 2012 and investigated by the government over the past 15 months, wasn't unsealed until last month in U.S. District Court in Detroit. The U.S. Attorney's Office is not intervening, but said in court documents that the government "remains a real party in interest" in the case and will monitor it from the sidelines.

If the employee who blew the whistle is successful, the government stands to win up to 70% of any settlement or judgment under federal law; the employee gets the rest.

Wayne State University officials declined to comment on specifics of the lawsuit, noting the university has not yet been served in the case and learned of it only from the media. Wayne State did, however, issue this statement:

"The author of the litigation — an individual who was terminated from his employment for research-related misconduct — has attempted to challenge his termination multiple times using several approaches. Without exception, every such attempt has failed decisively. Should Wayne State be served with this latest claim, we will defend aggressively, and we are confident that it will result in dismissal, as have all of his earlier attempts."

The whistle-blower in this case is Christian Kreipke, 37, formerly of Grosse Pointe, who alleges that for months he watched WSU lie on its grant proposals about the actual costs of research projects so that it could get more in grant money. For example, the lawsuit cited:

■ $235,000 for 300 lab rats that actually cost $12-$80 apiece

■ $96,000 in inflated salaries for three lab technicians

■ $98,000 in inflated costs for surgical supplies

■ $150,000 for a researcher who did no work for it.

■ $790,000 for a research project that should have cost $140,000.

"I have personal knowledge that the federal government was defrauded as it awarded millions of dollars in grants based on inflated proposals," Kreipke stated in court documents.

Kreipke, who comes from a long line of WSU graduates, alleges he complained about the suspected fraud to university officials. But he ended up getting fired from his $115,000-a-year-job in April 2012 and filed the lawsuit six months later.

"WSU attempted to impugn my reputation and standing in the research community by informing my colleagues that I was guilty of research fraud, when nothing could be further from the truth," Kreipke has stated in court documents, adding Wayne State "in its overzealous attempt to retaliate against me, also terminated my entire staff."

Wayne State has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.

The U.S. Attorney's Office declined comment on the lawsuit, which at this point is only being pursued by Kreipke.

That's because federal prosecutors on March 14 declined to intervene in the case and let Kreipke pursue it privately "in the name of the United States" while the government observes from the sidelines. The government said that its decision not to intervene "carries no necessary implication for the merits of the case" and that it "retains the right" to intervene later.

Kreipke filed his lawsuit under the federal False Claims Act, which allows individuals to sue on behalf of the government when they see federal dollars being used fraudulently. Nationwide, whistle-blower lawsuits last year triggered nearly $3 billion in settlements and judgments, most of which the government received.

When a private individual files a whistle-blower lawsuit, the federal government can take one of three actions: It can request the lawsuit be dismissed; It can intervene — an option that entitles whistle-blowers a 15-to-25% cut of any judgment; or it can decline to intervene, in which the individual pursues the case independently and is entitled to 25 to 30% of any settlement or judgment, with the government getting the rest.

In Kreipke's case, the government chose the last option.

Meanwhile, Kreipke must provide the U.S. Attorney's Office with any documents it requests and update it with any developments, including a possible settlement.

Kreipke's lawyer, Shereef Akeel, said his client's reputation is at stake.

"Dr. Kreipke's exemplary career has been destroyed for standing up for the truth. What they did to the professor for refusing to partake in what he believed was wrong speaks outrage," Akeel said.

"Unfortunately, what happened to the professor is what typically happens to whistle-blowers who get the courage to speak out. What is even more regrettable is that the professor, his parents, brother, aunt, great aunt are all graduates from WSU. This nightmare has shocked and disappointed the entire family immensely."

According to court documents, Kreipke was hired as an assistant professor in 2009 by the WSU School of Medicine and the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. Under the terms of his contract, he was required, among other things, to teach cell biology, conduct research, publish research results in peer-reviewed journals and be the lead investigator on research projects funded by grants.

During his time at Wayne State, Kreipke was the lead researcher of a study in rats that found that a medication called clazosentan may help treat traumatic brain injury. The study was funded by the American Academy of Neurology, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Institutes of Health.

According to Kreipke's lawsuit, more than $573,000 in grant money for that research project was fraudulently obtained.

Wayne State University:  We keep it real

(Anyone want a lab rat?  I can hook  you up.)

[DontSayBanana]

From the USC Law Office of Career Services:

Immediate need for qualified individuals to assist in completing document review on
complex civil rights discrimination litigation. Project will continue for 3 or more months until complete.
Hours are flexible depending on number of individuals assisting on project. Full time reviewers
preferred. Firm is located in Mount Pleasant [i.e., Charleston]. Compensation is $8 per hour.
Start date is immediate. To Apply: Email resume.  Deadline date to apply: April 30, 2014

Compensation is $8 per hour.

I think I'm going to email them and ask if that's a typo.

Also, completely unrelated, but I thought you'd all enjoy it:

Yokel Law Firm
–
204 Whitsett St.
Greenville, SC 29603
Attention: David M. Yokel, Esq.

That's actually below minimum wage here in NJ.

[The Brain]

■ $235,000 for 300 lab rats that actually cost $12-$80 apiece

■ $96,000 in inflated salaries for three lab technicians

■ $98,000 in inflated costs for surgical supplies

■ $150,000 for a researcher who did no work for it.

■ $790,000 for a research project that should have cost $140,000.

Wow medical costs are inflated, researchers are lazy and projects sometimes run over budget. Amazing shocker. The rats thing seems weird though.

[Monoriu]

Is US$8 an hour really that bad?  That is more than double HK's minimum wage.  Assuming 40 hours per week, that is a very decent salary for an entry level lawyer or accountant here.  Though an entry level professional will likely need to put in a lot more hours than that. 

[Habbaku]

Odds are you get paid more working at McDonald's with a law degree than you would taking that job.

[Razgovory]

Is US$8 an hour really that bad?  That is more than double HK's minimum wage.  Assuming 40 hours per week, that is a very decent salary for an entry level lawyer or accountant here.  Though an entry level professional will likely need to put in a lot more hours than that.

Yes, that's terrible.  Most people don't put in 7 years of training to get a job that pays the same as a clerk at a gas station.

[Capetan Mihali]

Odds are you get paid more working at McDonald's with a law degree than you would taking that job.

McD's generally won't hire people with law degrees, whereas they will.

[Savonarola]

Odds are you get paid more working at McDonald's with a law degree than you would taking that job.

McD's generally won't hire people with law degrees, whereas they will.

Yet another career path closed to Ide.   

[Phillip V]

Elite Colleges Don't Buy Happiness

A new Gallup survey of 30,000 college graduates of all ages in all 50 states has found that highly selective schools don't produce better workers or happier people.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303417104579544161033770526

[The Brain]

Source: Murdoch rag.

[Ideologue]

38% of 63% is more than 41% of 52%.