DC settles with company accused of charging government for hidden employee food expenses

WASHINGTON - Washington, D.C. reached a $50,000 settlement with a company accused of charging the government hidden employee food expenses disguised as IT products, according to the District's U.S. Attorney's Office. 

What we know:

Ventana Productions, Inc. agreed to the settlement to resolve allegations that it charged the government for the non-existent products on multiple occasions over several years.

The production company, which has offices in D.C. and New York City, performed multimedia support work for the U.S. Census Bureau under two General Services Administration contracts, officials said. 

The Department of Commerce Office of the Inspector General began investigating the company after an anonymous tip. The investigation found that Ventana invoiced the Census Bureau in seven instances for charges to hide the costs of employee meals. 

The Inspector General's Office found that Ventana falsely invoiced the bureau for "hard drives," "media transfer" and "parking" to disguise food purchases from different establishments. The purchases included food from Dunkin, Corner Bakery and Panera Bread, officials said. 

Based on seven false invoices sent between July 2019 and February 2024, the Census Bureau paid Ventana $1,533.

"Waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars will not be tolerated," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "Every day, this office works aggressively to expose fraud and abuse that diverts taxpayer dollars from their intended purpose. Contractors have a duty to bill the government honestly, and when they violate that trust, we will act decisively to hold them accountable."

The settlement does not determine liability.

Washington, D.C.News