Related Links: Schiavone Agrees to $23-Million Settlement for MBE Fraud D.C. Cuts Forrester Payment by $1M Over MBE Joint Venture Federal prosecutors charged steel fabricator and erector Larry Davis, the owner of DCM Erectors Inc., with using front companies and a fraudulent joint venture to fulfill goals for hiring minority- and women-owned companies during construction of One World Trade Center and the adjacent transportation hub in New York City.The charges were revealed by prosecutors in late July in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where Davis was released on $100,000 bail.Sanford Talkin, an attorney for Davis, denied the charges against his
One day after Truland Group, the big Reston, Va.,-based electrical contractor, ceased operations on July 21, units of the company filed for protection from creditors in federal bankruptcy court in Alexandria, Va.The company ranks 21st on ENR's list of The Top 600 Contractors, with 2012 revenue of $486 million, and is listed as the 10th largest electrical contractor in the U.S.Exactly how many unfinished projects, stranded employees and surety bond claims the company leaves is unclear. Truland officials could not be reached for comment.Truland is seeking protection under Chapter 7 of the federal bankruptcy code, which usually involves liquidation of
Photo: iStockphoto/Dwight Nadig The project involved a 30-in.-dia natural gas pipeline, similar to the one at left, in Lycoming County, Pa., along with gas-gathering lines and compressor stations. Related Links: How to Resolve Construction Disputes Proactively Creating a Compliance Culture Lessens Risk of Fraud Faced with mounting interest payments after losing a $24-million jury verdict in Delaware County, Pa., a pipeline company has settled with contractor Utility Line Services, says the contractor's attorney.The jury in April had ordered the defendant, PVR Marcellus Gas Gathering Inc., recently acquired by Dallas-based Regency Energy Partners, to pay Utility Line Services about $16.5 million
New York State Court lawsuit exhibit An aerial view of the excavation for Barclays Center in New York City entered as an exhibit in Laquila's lawsuit against Hunt. A New York State judge has ruled that Laquila Construction Group, the excavation and foundation subcontractor for the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, can sue prime contractor Hunt Construction Group for additional payment even though Laquila signed releases when it accepted progress payments during the project.The arena open on time in September 2012.New York City-based Laquila filed a complaint against Hunt in state court in Brooklyn in May, 2013. Although Hunt paid
Related Links: Beers, Burgers and a Bribe? The Case Against an Expressway Official The Central Florida Expressway Authority Website With his signature on June 20, Gov. Rick Scott (R) and Florida lawmakers disbanded the scandal-plagued Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority and rechristened it as the Central Florida Expressway Authority, which has a new board. Three Florida counties already have appointed new board members, and Scott will appoint the remaining ones.A grand jury indicted two board members, one for violating public-meeting laws in connection with a plan to oust former board Chairman Max Crumit. An engineer seen by many as a transparency
With his signature on June 20, Gov. Rick Scott (R) and Florida lawmakers disbanded the scandal-plagued Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority and rechristened it as the Central Florida Expressway Authority, which has a new board. Three Florida counties already have appointed new board members, and Scott will appoint the remaining ones. Related Links: Beers, Burgers and a Bribe? The Case Against a Florida Expressway Official A grand jury indicted two board members, one for violating public-meeting laws in connection with a plan to oust former board Chairman Max Crumit. An engineer seen by many as a transparency advocate, he now works
The LinkedIn page for R. Scott Batterson, who IBI Group says is no longer employed by the company. Photo source: Google Earth The alleged bribe offer took place at a sports-themed pub in Orlando called Caddyshanks. Related Links: Website of New Central Florida Expressway Authority It all seemed so blithely casual. And now it’s potentially criminal.An engineering company executive and a couple of directors from the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority, plus friends, met in Orlando, Fla., at a golf-themed sports pub called Caddyshanks after work one day last July. Beers and burgers were served. Talk turned to a possible
Shale gas pipe and valves in Pennsylvania, similar to those shown in the photo above, were at the heart of a costly contract dispute. ENR Art Dept. Faced with mounting interest after losing a $24-million jury verdict in Delaware County, Pa., a pipeline company late last week reached a settlement with contractor Utility Line Services, says the attorney for the contractor.The jury in April had ordered the defendant, PVR Marcellus Gas Gathering Inc., which was recently acquired by Dallas-based Regency Energy Partners, to pay Utility Line Services about $16.5 million for the amount it was owed. Another $7.8 million was
Related Links: Judge Orders IBCS and Scarborough to Return Contractors Premium A Bold Individual Surety Claims His Coal-Backed Bonds are Rock Solid Steven Golia, a key employee of Edmund C. Scarborough’s controversial IBCS Fidelity individual surety bond business, says he has been terminated by IBCS and has filed a lawsuit seeking money he claims he is owed. The information is contained in Golia’s April lawsuit in federal district court in Philadelphia. In it, Golia provides details of his compensation and dealings with Scarborough and Charlottesville-based IBCS Fidelity. According to Golia’s complaint, during his employment from 2008 to 2012 and in the months
Photo by Janice Tuchman/ENR Conference panel experts suggest the project's technical issues may not be unique. Related Links: High-Stakes Brinksmanship at the Panama Canal Panama Canal Owners and Contractors Reach Agreement With so many different nationalities and cultures represented among its participants, the Panama Canal expansion project faces obstacles worthy of the U.N. General Assembly. Together with the canal's vital role in world shipping and to the Panamanian economy—and with the project's construction risks—it's not hard to understand how misunderstandings could have led to $1.6-billion in disputed claims, said project risk experts speaking at ENR's Global Construction Summit in New