Summary

On November 3, 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a final decision for the debarment of Syracuse Suburban Airport (SSA) and its co-owner David Pizio, for a period of three (3) years. The debarment was based on the criminal conviction of Pizio, who previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Syracuse, New York, to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud.

SSA, designated by FAA as a reliever airport for the Syracuse International Airport, Syracuse, New York, purchased 93 acres in Hastings, New York, on which to develop the reliever airport. Between 2004 and 2009, SSA received five FAA grants totaling $2.97 million to be used for planning and development of the reliever airport. SSA established a line of credit from First Niagara Bank (FNB) and loan proceeds, reimbursable by the FAA grants, were to be used solely for airport expenditures. Instead, Pizio and co-conspirators devised a scheme to submit false and fraudulent invoices to FNB to purportedly pay for airport equipment. In reality, approximately $125,000 was diverted to an unrelated real estate project in Texas and approximately $97,604 was diverted to an unrelated bean factory, owned by a co-conspirator, in upstate New York.

We are conducting this investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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.