Summary

On April 16, 2014, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) debarred Fusella Group, LLC; Alpine Investment Group, Inc.; Vincent Fusella, Jr.; Gerardo Fusella; and Willie Spikes, from participating in federally funded activities. The debarments were based on guilty pleas entered by Vincent Fusella for conspiring to defraud the United States, and by Gerardo Fusella and Willie Spikes, for embezzling from an employee benefit fund.  Fusella Group, LLC paid employees without withholding Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes, and without reporting those employees’ wages to the Internal Revenue Service.

It was alleged that between 2007 and 2009, the Fusella’s and Spikes engaged in a series of fraud schemes in connection with its subcontract work on the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) World Trade Center Transportation Hub project (WTC Hub Project). The Fusellas operated a company, Alpine Investment Group, and were alleged to have underreported the number of hours their employees trucked; hid driver's hours from the union; and failed to collect and pay certain payroll taxes to the IRS. The Fusellas were also alleged to have submitted false certified payrolls to the PANYNJ stating that they were paying the prevailing wage and fringe benefits to employees as required by the Davis Bacon Act. The FTA has committed in excess of $2.2 billion on the WTC Hub project.

Note: Exclusion actions (suspensions and debarments) are frequently for a specific period of time and the System for Award Management "Sam.gov" should be consulted to find whether a company is currently excluded.