On certain Cuntz-Pimsner algebras

Let $A$ be a separable unital C*-algebra and let $\pi : A \ra \Lc(\Hf)$ be a faithful representation of $A$ on a separable Hilbert space $\Hf$ such that $\pi(A) \cap \Kc(\Hf) = \{0 \}$. We show that $\Oc_E$, the Cuntz-Pimsner algebra associated to the Hilbert $A$-bimodule $E = \Hf \ot_{\C} A$, is simple and purely infinite. If $A$ is nuclear and belongs to the bootstrap class to which the UCT applies, then the same applies to $\Oc_E$. Hence by the Kirchberg-Phillips Theorem the isomorphism class of $\Oc_E$ only depends on the $K$-theory of $A$ and the class of the unit.