Brad Birkenfeld

Who is Brad Birkenfeld?

Bradley Birkenfeld is an American banker and whistleblower whose disclosures to the IRS led to a massive fraud investigation. In 2007, he gave information to the United States Department of Justice that resulted in $780 million in fines levied against UBS. In 2008, Birkenfeld pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and was sentenced in 2009 to 40 months in prison. Many advocacy groups from around the world criticized Birkenfeld's prosecution and sentence.

Birkenfeld was released from prison to a halfway house in New Hampshire on August 1, 2012 and was scheduled to leave be fully released and put on probation on November 29, 2012. Meanwhile, in early September 2012 the IRS paid Birkenfeld a $104 million award for acting as a corporate whistleblower.

In October 2012, he sued his original lawyers for failing to obtain whistleblower protection for him.