United States ex rel. Moore & Co., P.A. v. Majestic Blue Fisheries, LLC

196 F. Supp. 3d 436, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97159, 2016 WL 4051266
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedJuly 26, 2016
DocketCiv. No. 12-1562-SLR
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 196 F. Supp. 3d 436 (United States ex rel. Moore & Co., P.A. v. Majestic Blue Fisheries, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States ex rel. Moore & Co., P.A. v. Majestic Blue Fisheries, LLC, 196 F. Supp. 3d 436, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97159, 2016 WL 4051266 (D. Del. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ROBINSON, District Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

On November 26, 2012, the law firm of Moore & Company, P.A. (“Moore”) filed this complaint under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act (“FCA”), 31 U.S.C. §§ 37293732, against Majestic Blue Fisheries, LLC (“Majestic Blue”), Pacific Breeze Fisheries, LLC (“Pacific Breeze”), and Joyce Jungmi Kim (“Joyce Kim”) (collectively, “defendants”).1 (D.I. 1) On May 21, 2013, the U.S. government declined to intervene in the case. (D.I. 6) On May 24, [439]*4392013, the case was unsealed. (D.I. 7) On November 14, 2013, defendants moved to dismiss the complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1), and for failure to state a claim pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (D.I. 17) Rather than respond to defendants’ motion, on January 10, 2014, Moore filed its first amended complaint. (D.I. 23) In the first amended complaint (“amended complaint”), Moore brings claims against defendants of violation of the FCA, reverse false claims for violation of the Vessel Documentation Act, conspiracy to violate the FCA, conspiracy to commit reverse false claims for violation of the Vessel Documentation Act, reverse false claims for violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (“APPS”), and conspiracy to commit reverse false claims for violation of APPS. (Id. at ¶¶ 110-62)

On February 11,2014, defendants filed a motion to dismiss Moore’s amended complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1), and for failure to state a claim pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (D.I. 26) Because the case was filed after the FCA was amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”), the court applied the pre-PPACA FCA to the pre-amendment conduct and the post-PPACA FCA (“amended FCA”) to later conduct. Majestic Blue Fisheries, LLC, 69 F.Supp.3d at 423. The court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint on September 23, 2014, dismissing the complaint under Rule 12(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Id. at 416. Specifically, the court concluded that Moore’s claim was barred by public disclosure and that Moore was not an original source of knowledge for the alleged fraud. Id.

On October 23, 2014, Moore appealed the dismissal to the Third Circuit. (D.I. 39) The Third Circuit determined that Moore was an original source under the post-PPACA public disclosure bar. United States ex rel. Moore & Co., P.A. v. Majestic Blue Fisheries, LLC, 812 F.3d 294, 307 (3d Cir.2016). Presently before the court is defendants’ Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss in relation to Moore’s claims arising under the post-PPACA FCA. (D.I. 25) This court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729, 3730(b).

II. BACKGROUND

A. Parties

Moore is a professional association of attorneys with its principal office located in Coral Gables, Florida. (D.I. 23 at ¶ 11)

Majestic Blue and Pacific Breeze (collectively, “the LLCs”) are Delaware limited liability corporations with a principal place of business located in Piti, Guam. (Id. at ¶¶ 12-13) The LLCs own, respectively, two fishing vessels, the Majestic Blue and the Pacific Breeze (“the vessels”).2 (Id.)

Joyce Earn is a Korean-born, naturalized U.S. States citizen who currently resides in California. (Id. at ¶ 17) Former defendant Jayne Kim is a Korean-born, naturalized U.S. citizen who currently resides in Korea. (Id. at ¶ 16) Jayne Kim and Joyce Kim are sisters, and both are daughters of Jaewoong Kim, a former executive of Dongwon. (Id. at ¶¶ 15-17) Jayne Kim is the majority shareholder and president of Majestic Blue and the minority shareholder and treasurer of Pacific Breeze. (Id. at ¶ 16) Joyce Kim is the majority sharehold[440]*440er and president of Pacific Breeze and the minority shareholder and treasurer of Majestic Blue. (Id. at ¶ 17)

Former defendant Jaewoong Kim is a citizen of and resides in South Korea. (Id. at ¶ 15) He is the father of Jayne Kim and Joyce Kim, and the brother of J.C. Kim, Dongwon’s chairman. {Id.) Jaewoong Kim is also a former executive of Dongwon. (Id.)

B. The South Pacific Tuna Treaty

Under the South Pacific Tuna Treaty (“SPTT”), the U.S. provides approximately $18 million in economic assistance annually to the Foreign Fisheries Association (“FFA”), an international body designated as the “administrator” of the SPTT. (Id. at ¶¶ 29, 31-32) This money is allocated to the Pacific Island nations that are signatories to the treaty. (Id. at ¶ 32) In return, the SPTT provides for a certain number of fishing licenses to be issued to U.S. fishing vessels, permitting them to fish for tuna in exclusive zones in the South Pacific, “some of the most tuna rich waters in the world.” (Id. at ¶¶ 29-30) South Korea is not a signatory to the SPTT.3 (Id. at ¶ 30)

To qualify for a SPTT license, a fishing vessel needs a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation with a registry endorsement. (Id. at ¶ 33) This certification is only available to vessels “under the ownership and control of U.S. citizens.” (Id.) The license applications are submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service and are issued by the FFA. (Id. at ¶ 31)

C. Alleged Facts Related to Claims Under the False Claims Act and Vessel Documentation Act

On March 25, 2008, Joyce Kim and Jayne Kim founded the LLCs and registered the vessels. (Id at ¶ 36) There are no other purported owners or shareholders in the LLCs. (Id. at 0¶ 43) Moore alleges that Joyce Kim and Jayne Kim each only invested $50 in the LLCs, with no further investment. (Id. at ¶ 37)

On April 23, 2008, Dongwon executed bills of sale that allegedly sold the vessels to the LLCs for $10 each. (Id. at ¶ 41) In the original purchase and sale agreement executed by Dongwon, the LLCs agreed to pay $4.4 million for each vessel. The agreement did not hold Joyce Kim or Jayne Kim responsible for the debt and no mortgage was taken out on the vessels. (Id. at ¶ 38) Moore alleges that this arrangement occurred because Dongwon never actually gave up ownership or control of the vessels; instead, Dongwon used Joyce Kim and Jayne Kim as “straw owners” of the LLCs because of their American citizenship. (Id. at ¶¶ 28, 29, 39)

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196 F. Supp. 3d 436, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97159, 2016 WL 4051266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-ex-rel-moore-co-pa-v-majestic-blue-fisheries-llc-ded-2016.