Investigations

On October 10, 2007, Anthony Katsourakis, owner of American Painting Company, Inc. (APC), was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Cleveland, Ohio, to 21 months imprisonment and 2 years supervised release. APC and Mr. Katsourakis were also ordered to pay $2.256 million in restitution to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Mr. Katsourakis and APC pled guilty on July 28, 2006, to conspiracy and bribery charges. The indictment charged that between May 2001 and December 2001, APC and Mr. Katsourakis conspired with others, paid cash bribes, and provided improper compensation, awards, and inducements in exchange for overlooking APC’s substandard and non–complying performance on painting contracts awarded by ODOT for work in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. FHWA suspended both Mr. Katsourakis and APC during the criminal proceeding and DOT OIG has referred both to FHWA for debarment action. The joint investigation was conducted by DOT OIG, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.