Summary

On March 15, 2016, FHWA suspended Sheila E. Curtis, of Woodstock, ME, based on State fraud charges. In January 2016, Curtis was indicted in the County of Franklin, ME, on charges of theft by deception and forgery.

Curtis was a consultant fabrication inspector for HRV Conformance Verification Associates, Inc. (HRV). Curtis allegedly sought reimbursement for lodging expenses that she knowingly never incurred while working on a federally funded project. The Maine Department of Transportation hired HRV to perform inspection services on the federally-funded Lisbon/Durham, ME, bridge project. Curtis was assigned by HRV to work on this bridge project and was responsible for inspecting materials fabricated at a plant in Kingfield, ME.

The indictment alleges that from June to October 2015, Curtis deceived HRV and the State of Maine by intentionally creating the impression that she was staying at 2 different hotels related to work on the project. The indictment also alleges that she falsely made or altered bills from these 2 hotels in order to fraudulently obtain lodging reimbursements of more than $10,000.

This case is being prosecuted by the Maine Attorney General’s Office.

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.