The US government filed a civil lawsuit against the telecommunications company Sprint, which cooperated with law enforcement authorities (FBI, DEA, US Marshals Service, ICE, etc.), providing services related to the surveillance programs of American agencies.
Under current U.S. law, telecommunications carriers are required to cooperate with authorities regarding legitimate operations conducted under surveillance. However, carriers can request that the government cover the costs associated with such operations, as long as they follow the pricing rules set by the Federal Communications Commission.
The US government, however, accuses Sprint of violating the above regulations by inflating the cost of the services provided by 58 percent.
Between January 1, 2007, and July 31, 2010, Sprint issued invoices totaling $37.7 million – overcharging law enforcement by $21 million, according to the indictment.
Sprint denies any wrongdoing. A company spokesperson told Bloomberg that the invoices submitted to the government were fully compliant with applicable law and that the company fully cooperated in the handling of this transaction.
