Spectro Scientific agrees to pay $1M to settle allegations related to Air Force’s Small Business Innovation and Research program

DAYTON – The United States entered into a $1 million Settlement Agreement with a global oil and fuel analysis instruments company that was awarded three contracts through the United States Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Spectro Scientific (Spectro) will pay $1,050,957 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act through its participation in the United States Air Force SBIR program based at Wright-Patterson AFB. 

SBIR seeks to ensure that small businesses without access to capital receive an opportunity to develop new technology through federally-funded research and development. SBIR funding fosters small businesses with innovative ideas and provides the chance to grow their technology for future commercialization.

The SBIR program is reserved for small businesses with less than 500 employees and must not be majority owned by a single venture capital company.

Spectro repeatedly self-certified that it met the small business size requirements for eligibility to receive SBIR funding. Based on certain disclosures that Spectro later made about its ownership, the government conducted an investigation led by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) into Spectro’s eligibility for its SBIR award. 

The United States contends that Spectro became ineligible to participate in the SBIR program by virtue of an acquisition where it became majority owned by a single venture capital company at the time it was awarded and performed certain phases of the SBIR contract.

Specifically, Spectro was awarded contracts in 2012, 2014 and 2017 while the company was ineligible. The Massachusetts-based entity received funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB for exploratory applications of advanced oil analysis technology for use in the field. 

“This office is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding the integrity of these programs so eligible companies receive a fair opportunity to contract with the Air Force,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers.

“One of the top investigative priorities of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations is to ensure the integrity of the Department of the Air Force’s procurement system, to include research and development programs,” said Paul W. Wachsmuth, Director, OSI Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations. “Any small business who seeks to participate in the SBIR program must do so with integrity.”

DeVillers was joined by the AFOSI Procurement Fraud Detachment 4 at Wright-Patterson AFB, and the Procurement Fraud Division of the Air Force Material Command Law Office, in announcing the settlement. Assistant United States Attorneys Brandi M. Stewart and Andrew M. Malek represented the United States in this matter.

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