Two Former Executives Share Reward for Blowing the Whistle
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 4, 2025) — A Virginia-based defense contractor and its founder agreed to pay $1.95 million to resolve claims that the company knowingly sold unauthorized equipment to the U.S. Air Force.
The U.S. Department of Justice yesterday announced the settlement with Intelligent Waves, based in Reston, Va., and its founder/owner Jared Shepard. The government’s investigation was triggered by a whistleblower lawsuit filed by former Intelligent Waves executives Nora Taylor and Marthe Lattinville-Pace, who will share a monetary award for alerting prosecutors to elements of the alleged scheme.
Ms. Taylor and Ms. Lattinville-Pace were represented in the matter by The Employment Law Group® law firm.
Intelligent Waves agreed to settle DOJ allegations that it sold the USAF equipment and services that fell outside the scope of a contract to support a squadron at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, submitting false invoices as part of the scheme. Prosecutors also claimed that Intelligent Waves made false statements to secure a different USAF contract to build facilities at Edwards Air Force Base in California, and that it improperly entertained USAF personnel in connection with both contracts.
Neither Intelligent Waves nor Mr. Shepard admitted liability in the settlement.
Ms. Taylor is a former vice president of contracting and compliance at Intelligent Waves; Ms. Lattinville-Pace is its former senior vice president of human resources. As detailed in their complaint, filed in 2022 under the federal False Claims Act (FCA), both executives were terminated after raising concerns about irregular practices at the company.
The FCA, signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, makes it illegal to claim payment from the federal government via deception. The law includes a “qui tam” provision that allows whistleblowers to file a complaint on behalf of the U.S. and — if they prevail — to receive a portion of any resulting settlement or judgment.
Under the terms of the FCA, the two executives’ lawsuit remained sealed while federal prosecutors dug into the allegations. It became public this week with the unsealing of a redacted version of their complaint, along with other documents.
“Nora and Marthe showed the strength of their characters when they spoke up, both internally and after being fired,” said Janel Quinn, a principal of The Employment Law Group. “They knew that our armed forces deserve straight dealing, as do the taxpayers who fund and are protected by those forces. Straight dealing shouldn’t require a lawsuit — but when their concerns were ignored, these women weren’t afraid to take the next step.”
Ms. Quinn represented Ms. Taylor and Ms. Lattinville-Pace along with Lydia A. Pappas, a TELG associate, and R. Scott Oswald, the firm’s managing principal. They worked in close cooperation with Tanya Kapoor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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Case Information
U.S. ex rel. Taylor v. Intelligent Waves, LLC
No. 1:22-cv-1463
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Complaint filed under seal on December 28, 2022
Redacted version of complaint filed on March 21, 2025 (available here)
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About The Employment Law Group
The Employment Law Group® law firm represents whistleblowers and employees who stand up to wrongdoing in the workplace. Based in Washington, D.C., the firm takes cases nationwide.
