Second ARGO Owner Fined for Bribing State Bridge Inspector

Office of Inspector General

Title:	Second ARGO Owner Fined for Bribing State Bridge Inspector
Date:	April 02, 2004
Type:	Investigation
Summary:	Larry Frangos, part owner of ARGO Contracting Corp., of Campbell, OH, was fined $5,000 and ordered confined to home for six months by a U.S. District Court judge in Cleveland for bribing an Ohio Department of Transportation bridge inspector. Frangos gave $2,000 to state inspector Jim Stone in April 2001 in exchange for falsified reports regarding the quality and quantity of ARGO’s work on a federally funded bridge-painting contract. Stone was fined $5,500 on March 31 for accepting the bribe. ARGO co-owner George Ginnis was fined $5,000 on January 8 in Cleveland for bribes of other state inspectors. The State of Ohio has begun proceedings to debar Frangos and ARGO from receiving state contracts.