DURHAM, N.C. — Duke University will pay $112 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit after federal prosecutors said the school used a research technician's fake data to land federal grants.
The Justice Department claimed in its lawsuit that the private university in Durham knowingly submitted claims for dozens of research grants that contained falsified or fabricated information. Prosecutors said Monday that the faked data involved mouse studies.
Duke said it discovered the problem in 2013 after the technician was fired for embezzling university money. The school says in a statement that it's repaying grant money and related penalties. The statement says the technician pleaded guilty to two counts of forgery and paid restitution to the university.
A former Duke employee who alerted the government will get nearly $34 million.
