H. Dean Steinke - Merck

Relator for United States ex rel. Steinke, et al. v. Merck & Co., and
Nevada ex rel. Steinke v. Merck & Co.

Dean Steinke joined Merck as a Professional Sales Representative in 1995 and was promoted to District Sales Manager in 1997.  He was well-liked at the company, and one of his former employees once called him “the best manager I have ever had the pleasure of working with.” However, Dean soon began to realize that Merck was engaging in a variety of schemes to defraud Medicaid programs across the country. After company officials ignored his complaints, he filed a qui tam lawsuit in December 2000. Dean worked tirelessly for seven years to help with the government’s investigation and ultimately helped the government to recover $400 million from Merck. Shortly after filing the lawsuit, Dean left Merck to work as District Manager for another drug company, a position he held until January 2008.