Whistleblower in Bid Rigging Gets DOJ’s First $1 Million Reward
A car dealer walks past cars for sale at a used car dealership.
Photographer: Angus Mordant/BloombergAn informant who reported illegal bid-rigging of used car auctions to federal authorities received a $1 million reward, the Justice Department said Thursday, the first antitrust whistleblower award under a program announced last year.
Information from the whistleblower led to a deferred prosecution agreement under which eBlock Inc., a Canadian firm whose software helps auto dealers buy and sell inventory, will pay a $3.28 million criminal fine. The whistleblower’s identity remains confidential because the investigation is continuing.