Changes

'''Custer Battles, LLC''', LLC is a security company based [[defense contractor]] headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island with offices in [[McLean]], [[Virginia, ]]. The company offers services that promotes its services as including "include security services", "litigation support", "global risk consulting", "training" and "business intelligence".[http://www.custerbattles.com]. Prior to June 2003, the company specialized in crisis management training and consulting to humanitarian organizations, as well as conducting critical infrastructure protection and training for high-value infrastructure in the United States.

Custer Battles was founded in October 2001. The company's was named after its founders are [[, Scott Custer]], and Michael Battles. Custer is a former US [[Army officer Ranger]] and defense consultant, and while Battles is former [[CIA]] officer [[Michael BattlesEspionage|intelligence officer]], who ran unsucessfully for Congress in Rhode Island in 2002 and was defeated in the Republican primary. Battles is a [[Fox NewsUnited States Congress]] Channel commentator. in [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002058470_contract09.html] Both Custer and Battles are often described in the media as "former US Army Rangers." In fact, they are both mere graduates of the US Army Ranger course[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_SchoolRhode Island], a nine week US Army leadership school, and not former members of the US Army Ranger Regiment[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Army_Rangers]. The distinction may seem obscure, but it is an important one for US Army veterans, particularly veterans of the Ranger Regiment, which is one of the US Army's most elite formationsin 2002.

From 2001-2003, Custer Battles was a newly formed company with no experience provided crisis management and assistance to humanitarian organizations working in high-risk conflict areas throughout the security industry when it landed one world. Their clients included some of the first contracts issued in largest [[Iraqnon-governmental organizations]] (NGOs) in the spring world. Specific services of Custer Battles for these NGOs included kidnap and ransom assistance, crisis management, pre-deployment training and security training. In 2003 , Custer Battles was competitively awarded several large state contracts to provide counter-terrorism and vulnerability assessments to secure the airportprotect drinking water infrastructure. The no-bid contract was worth $16 million when it was awarded in These contracts were with the chaos after the fall states of [[Saddam Hussein]]Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. [http://seattletimeswww.nwsourcecusterbattles.com/html/nationworldpress/2002058470_contract09releases.html]

On July 1, In June 2003, Custer Battles was competitively awarded a contract to secure the Baghdad International Airport. The 12-month contract with the Coalition Provisional Authority was worth $16.8 million. The company announced that it would "bring continued to expand its business in Iraq, and became one of the larger defense contractors operating in the country. By some accounts, they had more than 1000 staff on the ground in Iraq.[http://startup.wsj.com/howto/successstories/20040824-king.html]. According to an article in the Boston Globe, Custer Battles offered its security training expertise services to the State United Nations just prior to the bombing of Mainethe UN headquarters in Iraq which killed 23 people including the senior UN diplomat." [http://www.custerbattles.com/press/news_070103news082303bostonglobe.htmhtml]

On April 9, The company continued to expand its operations in Iraq through 2003 and 2004, BBC News reported that a . In early 2005 Custer Battles employee and former British soldier, [[Michael Bloss]], "was killed while guarding electrical workers near in the town midst of Hitseveral lawsuits and a decreasing security situation, west of Baghdad." [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3614697ceased operations in Iraq.stm]

==Allegations of Unrestrained Force=="These aren't insurgents that we're brutalizingIn October 2004," says Crauna lawsuit by Robert Isakson and William Baldwin was unsealed against Custer Battles. "It was local civilians The suit, brought under the False Claims Act, alleged massive overbilling on their way to work. It's wrong." Capt. two contracts with the [[Bill CraunCoalition Provisional Authority]] is one of four former Custer Battles employees in an Iraq in 2003.[http://www.msnbc.msnnpr.comorg/idtemplates/6947745story/ NBC reportstory.php?storyId=4178365] that allege civilian contractors used such unrestrained force in Iraq, they had to quit soon after because of disgust. "What we saw, I know the American population wouldn't stand for," Craun said referring to subcontracted local youth shooting the place up.

[http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8AM6RHO1.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down Business Week] reported on June 12, 2005 that former operations chief for Custer BattlesIn March 2006, a [[Rob Roy Trumblejury]]found Custer Battles liable for the submission of 30 false claims, has formed new companies each one of which is subject to bid a US$5,000 -11,000 civil fine. However, in August 2006, Judge Ellis, of the Federal District Court in Alexandria, Va overturned the verdict on contracts in Iraqa technical grounds. Two of Trumbles new companiesWhile Judge Ellis had previously concluded that specific CPA funds were fair game for False Claims Act prosecution, [[Emergent Business Services]] and [[Tarheel Training LLC]] are housed he found that the Relators in this case had failed to prove the fromer office of Custer Battles at Suite 100 on Hammerlund Way actually submitted the claims for payment. This case made huge headlines across the nation.[http://www.rinf.com/columnists/news/us-contractor-found-guilty-of-3-million-fraud-in Middletown Rhode Island.-iraq]

Both companies are affiliated Another [[trial]], with the Romanian company, same set of [[Danubia Global Inc.whistleblowers]] which is owned by , concerned a separate $16.8 million contract awarded to Custer Battles to provide security at [[Security Ventures Baghdad International Ltd.Airport]]. As this contract was paid for by seized Iraqi funds, Judge Ellis ruled that the entire contract was susceptible to the False Claims Act, a British Virgin Islands firmand not just part of it in the previous case. The basic allegations were that Custer Battles had failed to provide adequate security staffing under its Firm-Fixed Price contract of $16.8 million.

Said former CPA official, Franklin Willis, about Trumbles new companiesIn February 2007, Judge Ellis dismissed the case and ruled that there was no evidence of fraud on Custer Battles part. "They're like mushrooms, they just keep sprouting upJudge Ellis found that Custer Battles never specified how many security personnel it would provide. He said Custer Battles initially provided more than 138 workers and received glowing performance evaluations."[http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070208-105824-4456r.htm] The Relators are planning to appeal the decision to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

==Custer Battles files conspiracy lawsuit==In additionApril 2005, former chief financial officer Custer Battles filed conspiracy and [[Joseph Morrisbreach of contract]]lawsuits against Robert Isakson and William Baldwin, the same individuals who had submitted fake invoices previously accused Custer Battles of submitting false claims. The lawsuit also included Isakson and Baldwin's companies, DRC Inc and American Iraqi Solutions Group, both of Alabama. According to court documents filed in the government which resulted in a suspension forbidding him from receiving "new public contracts in Iraq and elsewhere", has been working on reconstruction projects U.S. District Court for [[Sallyport Global Holdings]]. Upon seeing Morris' name on the suspension listEastern District of Virginia, Sallyport has said they will not renew Mr. Isakson breached his contractwith Custer Battles when he brought his 12-year old son to Iraq with $9,000 in cash strapped to his chest.[http://www.corpwatch. Morris had claimed he has been exonerated for acting as a federal witnessorg/article.php?id=12170]

MorrisCuster Battles also alleged that Isakson and Baldwin conspired to start a new company, like Trumble[[American Iraqi Solutions Group]] (AISG) and stole Custer Battles clients. This case was eventually moved from the US District court in Virginia to the US District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. Before going to trial, a settlement was a West Point classmate of both reached and Custer and Battlesdismissed the charges. The amount of money paid by DRC, as were many other managers within the firmIsakson and Baldwin has been kept confidential.

==GuiltyAllegations of unrestrained force==In February 2005, [[Lisa Myers]] of [[MSNBC]] News reported a story concerning allegations of unrestrained force on the part of Custer Battles security operators in Iraq. In the story, four former Custer Battles employees are quoted as witnessing an incident where a Custer Battles vehicle rolled over a civilian vehicle and injured the occupants inside. The employees also detail an incident where Kurdish guards shot indiscriminately towards Iraqi civilians. According to one of the employees, Bill Craun, "what we saw the American public wouldn't stand for."

On March 9thIn response to the allegations, Ms. Myers interviewed the country director and convoy leader for Custer Battles. The convoy leader, Shawn Greene, 2006 adamantly denied that any of these incidents occurred, a federal jury and detailed the exact incident in Virginia found Scott which he ordered the CusterBattles truck to hit and forcibly move a civilian vehicle. According to Greene, Michael while his vehicle did damage the civilian car, there were no injuries. Paul Christopher, the Custer Battles country director, provided NBC News access to the company's mission logs, which detailed the event of hitting a civilian vehicle, the subsequent investigation with photos, and Joseph Morris "guilty the documentation from the driver and witnesses that no one was injured. Both Greene and Christopher did detail accounts of actual combat situation of defrauding the United States Custer Battles personnel where their vehicles were attacked by filing grossly inflated invoices for work in insurgents and Custer Battles personnel were forced to defend themselves through the chaotic year after the Iraqi invasionuse of deadly force.[http://www.msnbc.msn."com/id/6947745/page/2/]

The trial dealt with only one of several CusterBattles' contracts and the jury found that the entire $3 million in the contract had been "gained by fraud". The defendants will have to "repay the government triple damages and also pay fines for 37 fraudulent acts" in what will amount to over $10 million. == External links ===== Website ===* [http://www.corpwatchcusterbattles.orgcom/articleCuster Battles, LLC], viewed April 9, 2004.php?id=13377]

==Whistleblowing on Massive Billing Fraud= Articles ===*[http://www.projo.com/news/johnmulligan/custer_battles_02-22-07_JJ4H5SB.1170163.html "Cleared of war profiteering, he fights to restore honor"], John Mulligan, [[CorpWatchProvidence Journal]] has details, February 22, 2007, viewed February 22, 2007*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020801871.html "Judge Clears Contractor of Fraud in Iraq"], Dana Hedgepeth, [[Washington Post]],viewed February 22, 2007*[http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070208-105824-4456r.htm "Military Contractor Exonerated"], [[Democracy NowWashington Times]]! has a segment with interview on 1 March 2005, February 9, 2007, viewed February 10, 2007.*[http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/19/africa/web.0819reconstruct.php "Judge Sets Aside Verdict of Corporate Fraud in Iraq"], Eric Eckholm, [[New York Times]], August 18, 2006, viewed February 10, 2007.==Contact Information== Custer Battles<br>8201 Greensboro Drive<br>Suite 214<br>McLean* [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/23/politics/23whistle.html "Memos Warned of Billing Fraud by Firm in Iraq"], Eric Eckholm, ''[[The New York Times]]''. Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 1 , Column 1. Oct 23, 2004. Retrieved May 2, VA 22102<br>2005. Email* [http: info AT custerbattles//seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002058470_contract09.html "Contractor accused of fraud in Iraq"], T. Christian Miller, ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. October 9, 2004, ''[[The Seattle Times]]''. Retrieved May 2, 2005. <br>Web: *[http://wwwstartup.custerbattleswsj.com/howto/successstories/20040824-king.html "Small Business Succeeds Amid Chaos and Danger"] , Neil King Jr., [[Wall Street Journal]], August 2004, viewed February 10, 2007 == SourceWatch Resources ==*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3614697.stm "Security worker killed in Iraq"], ''BBC News'', April 9, 2004, viewed April 9, 2004.

[[Category:2003 Iraq conflict]][[Category:Private military corporationscontractors]]