Blake Percival | |
|---|---|
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| Born | |
| Education |
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| Alma mater | Bluefield State College |
| Occupation | Criminal Justice Professional |
| Employer | Public Speaker |
| Known for | Director of Field Work Services forUSIS;Whistleblower |
| Spouse | Melanie Lynn Percival |
| Children | Sandra Lynn Percival, Bradley Travis Percival, Lynda Ashley Hotard, Artie Blake Percival |
Blake Percival was the Director of Fieldwork Services,Western Pennsylvania (WPA), forUSIS. He became awhistleblower in July 2011, when he filed aqui tam suit saying he was fired from USIS, for not ordering his subordinates to submit cases to the U.S. Government for payment, that had not been completed.[1] He had worked for USIS from January 2001 to June 2011. In his suit he stated he had been fired after he refused to order his employees to continue an elaborate fraud known as dumping.[2]
The suit was filed under seal in U.S. District Court in Montgomery, Alabama. His allegations were investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and in October 2013 the DOJ joined Percival's suit and removed the seal. The case,United States of America ex rel. Blake Percival v. U.S. Investigations Services, Civil Action No. 11-CV-527-WKW, was filed in U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama (Northern Division). On January 22, 2014, the DOJ filed their formal complaint against USIS. In their filing the DOJ stated that USIS committed fraud on at least 665,000 background investigations. This case was moved to Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2014. The case was settled on August 19. 2015, when USIS agreed to forgo claims to more than $30,000,000 it was owed by the U.S. Government. On December 18, 2015, the Department of Justice awarded Percival 20%, just over $6,000,000, of the money recovered from USIS.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Percival graduated fromBluefield State College in January 2000 with a Regeants[clarification needed] Bachelor of Arts Degree.[13]
He graduated from theWest Virginia State Police Academy in April 1994 as part of the 86th Basic Class, which certified him as a Police Officer in West Virginia. He graduated from the Montgomery Police Academy's lateral training class in 1998, which certified him as a Police Officer in Alabama.[citation needed]
In 2008, he was licensed as aprivate investigator by the State of Minnesota Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services.In April 2013, he was certified in Alabama as aMagistrate by the Alabama Judicial College.[citation needed]
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From February 1986 to March 1992 Percival served in theU.S. Army. While in the Army he worked as a Material Control Accounting Specialist for four years and as a Military Police Officer for two years. He was assigned atFort Ord, California,Fort Rucker, Alabama, andFuerth, Germany. In March 1992 he washonorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant.[14]
From 1994 to 2001, Percival worked as apolice officer. He heldPolice Officer positions in West Virginia and Alabama. In West Virginia he worked at Beckley Police Department, and in Alabama he worked at Baptist Health Police Department,Auburn University at Montgomery, (A.U.M.) Police Department, andWetumpka Police Department. He also worked as aBailiff at the City ofMontgomery AlabamaMunicipal Court.
In 2001, Percival began working forU.S. Investigations Services which was later renamed USIS.[15] From 2001 to 2003 he was anInvestigator conducting background investigations for theUnited States Office of Personnel Management, (OPM). In 2003 he was promoted to District Manager and managed Investigators in the Fayetteville, North Carolina, area. In 2005 he was reassigned as a Team Leader for Investigators in the Montgomery, Alabama, area. In 2007 he was promoted to District Manager of the Minneapolis District. In January 2011 he was promoted to Director of Fieldwork Services, Western Pennsylvania. He was fired from USIS in June 2011.[16]
From September 2011 to October 2013 Percival worked forCACI as anInvestigator conducting background investigations for theUnited States Office of Personnel Management, (OPM). From April 2012 to August 2015 he worked as aMagistrate at the City ofMontgomery Alabama’s Municipal Court. After his whistleblower case settled, he became a public speaker on the topics of Morals, and Ethics. In April 2017 he became a member of the Washington, D.C.–based law firm ProtectUS Law, which is a law firm specializing in whistleblower cases.[17] Percival's bookHolding on to Integrity and Paying the Price: A Whistleblower's Story was published January 6, 2020.