Bassett Mirror to Pay $10.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act AD Duty Evasion Lawsuit

A Virginia-based furniture importer has agreed to pay $10.5 million to settle a whistleblower’s claims that it made false statements on entry documentation in an attempt to evade antidumping duties, the Justice Department said in a Jan. 16 press release. Bassett Mirror Company allegedly misclassified its furniture as non-bedroom furniture, avoiding a 216% AD duty on wooden bedroom furniture from China. The settlement ends a False Claims Act case filed by Kelly Wells, an ecommerce furniture retailer, and subsequently joined by the government. Wells will receive $1.9 million, which comes on top of another $2.4 million Wells received in an associated whistleblower case against Z Gallerie in 2016 (see 1604270033).