United States v. Jurik

943 F. Supp. 2d 602, 2013 WL 1881318, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63347
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedMay 3, 2013
DocketNo. 5:12-CV-460-F
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 943 F. Supp. 2d 602 (United States v. Jurik) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Jurik, 943 F. Supp. 2d 602, 2013 WL 1881318, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63347 (E.D.N.C. 2013).

Opinion

JAMES C. FOX, Senior District Judge.

On July 24, 2012, Plaintiff United States of America (“government”) filed a complaint [DE-1] in this court, asserting a claim pursuant to the False Claims Act (“FCA”), 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et seq., as well as state law claims of unjust enrichment and payment under mistake of fact against, among others, Defendants Valerie Jurik (“Jurik”) and At Home Assessments, LLC (“AHA”) (collectively, “Defendants”).1 On October 31, 2012, these Defendants filed a motion to dismiss [DE-18] pursuant to Rules 12(b)(6) and 9(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. On December 20, 2012, the government filed its response to Defendants’ motion [DE-23], and on January 2, 2013, Defendants filed a reply [DE-24]. Accordingly, the matter is ready for disposition. For the reasons stated below, the motion will be ALLOWED and the claims asserted against Defendants will be DISMISSED without prejudice. The court will permit the government an opportunity to file an amended complaint within 21 days of the date of this order.

I. STANDARD OF REVIEW

A. Rule 12(b)(6)

The purpose of a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) is to test the legal sufficiency of a complaint, not to resolve conflicts of fact or to decide the merits of the action. Edwards v. City of Goldsboro, 178 F.3d 231, 243-44 (4th Cir.1999). In con[605]*605sidering a motion to dismiss, the court assumes the truth of all facts alleged in the complaint and the existence of any fact that can be proved, consistent with the complaint’s allegations. Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94, 127 S.Ct. 2197, 167 L.Ed.2d 1081 (2007). However, the “ ‘[fjactual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level’ and have ‘enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’ ” Wahi v. Charleston Area Med. Ctr., Inc., 562 F.3d 599, 616 n. 26 (4th Cir.2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). “[A] plaintiffs obligation to provide the ‘grounds’ of his ‘entitle[ment] to relief requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of a cause of action’s elements will not do.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (citations omitted); see also id. at 551-53, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (noting that the previous “rule that a complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief’ is a “phrase [ ] best forgotten as an incomplete, negative gloss on an accepted pleading standard”). Moreover, a court “need not accept the legal conclusions drawn from the facts” nor “accept as true unwarranted inferences, unreasonable conclusions, or arguments.” E. Shore Mkts., Inc. v. J.D. Assocs. Ltd. P’ship, 213 F.3d 175, 180 (4th Cir.2000) (citation omitted).

When addressing a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), a court generally may not look outside the complaint unless it treats the motion to dismiss as a motion for summary judgment. Witthohn v. Fed. Ins. Co., 164 Fed.Appx. 395, 396 (4th Cir.2006). A court may, however, take judicial notice of matters of public record, and may also “consider documents attached to the complaint, as well as those attached to the motion to dismiss, so long as they are integral to the complaint and authentic.” Philips v. Pitt Cnty. Mem’l Hosp., 572 F.3d 176, 180 (4th Cir.2009) (citations omitted); see also Witthohn, 164 Fed.Appx. at 396 (stating that “a court may consider official public records, documents central to plaintiffs claim, and documents sufficiently referred to in the complaint so long as the authenticity of these documents is not disputed”).

B. Rule 9(b)

The elements of a FCA claim “are predicated on fraudulent conduct....” United States ex rel. Davis v. U.S. Training Ctr. Inc., 498 Fed.Appx. 308, 314-15 (4th Cir.2012) (citation omitted); see also United States ex rel. Totten v. Bombardier Corp., 286 F.3d 542, 551-52 (D.C.Cir.2002) (noting that every circuit to consider the issue has held that Rule 9(b) applies to FCA complaints). In pleading fraud or mistake, although “[mjalice, intent, knowledge, and other conditions of a person’s mind may be alleged generally,” a plaintiff “must state with particularity the circumstances constituting fraud or mistake.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 9(b). “[T]he circumstances required to be pled with particularity under Rule 9(b) are the time, place, and contents of the false representations, as well as the identity of the person making the misrepresentation and what he obtained thereby.” United States ex rel. Jones v. Collegiate Funding Servs., Inc., 469 Fed.Appx. 244, 258 (4th Cir.2012) (quotation omitted). Those aspects of a fraud claim that may be pled generally “must still be alleged in accordance with Rule 8— a ‘plausible’ claim for relief must be articulated.” Mayfield v. Nat’l Ass’n for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc., 674 F.3d 369, 377 (4th Cir.2012). “Dismissal under Rule 9(b) is treated as a failure to state a claim [606]*606under Rule 12(b)(6).” Jones, 469 Fed.Appx. at 257 (quotation omitted).

II. PLAINTIFF’S COMPLAINT

The following facts are alleged in the complaint. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) operates several Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service units, including one at the Durham VA Medical Center (“Durham PSAS”). The Durham PSAS provides prosthetic and orthotic services, sensory aids, medical equipment, and support services for veterans. This includes the VA’s Home Improvements and Structural Alternations (“HISA”) program, which provides funds to help defray the costs associated with structural modifications of homes to accommodate wheelchairs or other special needs of veterans. Mark Curtis (“Curtis”) was the Durham PSAS’ HISA program manager during the time period relevant to this action.

The VA utilizes a United States Government Purchase Card (“USGPC”), a type of credit card that allows authorized purchasing representatives to make purchases up to $25,000.00 for HISA and other VA programs. Curtis was authorized to use the USGPC for HISA and other VA program purchases.

The VA prohibits charging the USGPC for HISA home modification work until the work has been completed, which includes submission of a paper invoice, photos of the modification, and a statement of completion signed by the veteran for whom the work was performed.2

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Bluebook (online)
943 F. Supp. 2d 602, 2013 WL 1881318, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63347, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-jurik-nced-2013.