French Bridge Builder Fined $485,000 to Settle Construction Fraud Case

Office of Inspector General

Title:	French Bridge Builder Fined $485,000 to Settle Construction Fraud Case
Date:	April 10, 2002
Type:	Investigation
Summary:	Freyssinet International Et Compagnie, of Velizy, France, reached an out-of-court settlement in which it agreed to pay $485,000 in a case that brought allegations of antitrust violations and false claims. Freyssinet International, a construction company specializing in the design and construction of cable-stay bridges, was operating in the U.S. under the licensee CCS Special Structures, Inc., Manassas, VA. Freyssinet International conspired with VSL United States and Dywidag-Systems, International, USA, Inc., to rig bids on cable-stay bridge projects in the U.S. from June 1996 to September 1997. In the conspiracy, Freyssinet International was selected to win the bid for the Charles River Project in Massachusetts, and as a result of its anticompetitive arrangements with VSL and DSI, caused inflated bids to be submitted to and paid for by DOT and the State of Massachusetts.