Summary

On May 27, 2010, John J. Farrar and Marc J. Blais, two former dispatch managers for Aggregate Industries' (AI) Ready Mix Concrete Division were sentenced to terms of probation in U.S. District Court, Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Farrar was sentenced to 3 years probation, 750 hours of community service, more than $20,000 in fines, and 3 months home confinement. Mr. Blais was sentenced to 2 years probation, 250 hours of community service, nearly $11,000 in fines, and 3 months of home confinement.

A jury convicted both individuals for fraud in relation to a scheme in which AI delivered approximately 5,000 loads of non-specification concrete to the Big Dig between 1996 and 2005. The non-specification concrete was accompanied by falsified batch reports which had been created to conceal the scheme and deceive Big Dig inspectors. Mr. Farrar was convicted of conspiracy to commit highway project fraud and mail fraud, and making false statements in connection with highway projects and mail fraud. Mr. Blais was convicted of making false statements in connection with highway projects and mail fraud. The estimated loss to the Government was $5 million.

AI previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government and agreed to pay $50 million to the federal and state government to resolve its criminal and civil liabilities in connection with the scheme. Two additional defendants remain to be sentenced.

The investigation was conducted jointly with the Massachusetts State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts with assistance from the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General.