Construction Fraud - II


January 29, 2010

It happened in Alabama. Construction bribes. FBI Special Agent Mike Ponzo was on the case. He says the project manager for new condos in Huntsville had an increase-the-bid scheme for a contractor.


Audio Transcript

Mr. Schiff: It happened in Alabama. Construction bribes. FBI Special Agent Mike Ponzo was on the case. He says the project manager for new condos in Huntsville had an increase-the-bid scheme for a contractor.

Mr. Ponzo: "Had been asked to change bids in exchange for proceeds that would fraudulently be taken from the primary investors.”

Mr. Schiff: The contractor agreed to work with the FBI. Ponzo says that when money was transferred, technology recorded everything.

Mr. Ponzo: "We used tapes and cameras and everything else that we had available to us to memorialize payoffs and the kickbacks and that type of thing.”

Mr. Schiff: Ponzo says these recordings clearly showed the original bid from the contractor, who was helping the FBI, made to the scheming condo project manager.

Mr. Ponzo: "Giving him detailed, an avenue, to increase the bids.”

Mr. Schiff: After pleading guilty, the subject got two-and-a-half years behind bars and has to pay back more than $900,000 in restitution and forfeiture. I’m Neal Schiff of the Bureau, and that’s the FBI’s Closed Case of the Week.

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