3 more sentenced in Standish-based scheme to defraud the government

STANDISH, Mich. (WNEM) – Three former executives of a Standish-based company have been sentenced for pleading guilty to defrauding the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

On Nov. 20, 48-year-olds Adam Ball of Saginaw and Brian Bartlett of Standish were sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. They also must serve two years of federal supervised release once they leave incarceration.

On the same day, 48-year-old Anthony Thelen of Pewamo was sentenced to six months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Thelen must serve one year of federal supervised release once released from incarceration, said the attorney’s office.

Prior to Nov. 20, Jeffery Bartlett and Andrew Semenchuk were sentenced for their guilty pleas to the conspiracy on Nov. 18.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Standish men who pled guilty to defrauding the government, sentenced

In total, the five will pay $4,571,800 in full restitution to the Michigan Department of Transportation, said the attorney’s office. They were also court ordered to pay forfeitures of $4,073,200.

Court records state that the five owned and operated Surveying Solutions Inc. (SSI), a surveying company in Standish. From Feb. 2011 through July 2019, SSI was awarded millions of dollars in highway construction contracts from MDOT, said the attorney’s office. The contracts were primarily funded by USDOT federal funds.

The attorney’s office said the five participated in a fraudulent overbilling scheme, causing MDOT to make millions of dollars of payments to SSI when they were distributing a significant portion of the money among themselves.

The attorney’s office said the fraudulent overbilling actions included the following:

-reporting false and non-existent employee and information technology costs

-claiming improper and inflated equipment and real property lease costs

-concealing the real ownership of and control over the SSI entities

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. It is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen L. Reynolds, William Vailliencourt, and K. Craig Welkener

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