Asphalt Specialists LLC, located in Pontiac, Michigan, has been sentenced to a substantial $6.5 million criminal fine for its participation in bid-rigging schemes concerning asphalt paving services contracts within the state. This sentencing follows the company’s guilty plea on January 30, which addressed its involvement in two distinct conspiracies.
Court documents reveal that Asphalt Specialists LLC collaborated with Al’s Asphalt Paving Company Inc. between March 2013 and November 2018. Additionally, the company engaged in a similar scheme with F. Allied Construction Company Inc. from July 2017 to May 2021. In both cases, these conspirators coordinated bid prices, resulting in losing companies submitting intentionally non-competitive bids. This deceptive practice misled customers into believing in a competitive bidding process, while the actual outcomes were predetermined by the involved parties.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division affirmed that companies opting for fraudulent practices over competitive strategies must face significant punitive fines. He reiterated the division’s dedication, along with law enforcement partners, to preventing violators from reaping rewards from their illicit actions, especially within vital infrastructure sectors.
Acting Special Agent in Charge from the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General expressed that the sentence serves as a warning against corporate greed and highlights the commitment to preserving fair competition in transportation projects.
Furthermore, an Executive Special Agent in Charge from the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General hailed the sentencing as a pivotal triumph for maintaining the integrity of the competitive process.
Asphalt Specialists LLC is one of three firms involved in a federal antitrust investigation into bid-rigging and other anti-competitive activities in the asphalt paving sector. Al’s Asphalt has already pleaded guilty and been fined $795,661.81, while Allied is awaiting sentencing following its plea. Six individuals are also facing charges as part of the ongoing investigation.
The inquiry, spearheaded by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, is being prosecuted by the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office.
