USAO, Southern District of Florida - Press Release

Summary

On April 24, 2013, Anthoneel Allen, President and owner, Southeast Underground and Utilities, Inc. (SUU), and  James Hashim, former Vice President, SUU, were sentenced in U.S. District Court, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for conspiracy to commit bribery in programs receiving federal funds, highway fraud, mail fraud, extortion, and tax fraud.  Allen received a sentence of 60 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $15,000 fine.  Hashim received a sentence of 36 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $15,000 fine.  Additionally, both defendants were ordered to jointly forfeit $3 million.              

The investigation revealed that from fall 2006 through 2010, Allen and Hashim provided Jihad El Eid, former Director, Broward County Traffic Engineering Division, at his request, more than $150,000 in cash; a 2003 Ford Taurus; and a job at SUU for Wael El Eid, Jihad's relative. In return, Jihad El Eid allegedly helped SUU obtain work on multimillion dollar projects initiated by Broward County Traffic Engineering Division--part of a larger federally funded project. The investigation disclosed that Jihad El Eid assisted SUU's overpayment of at least $3 million. In addition, Allen, on behalf of SUU, filed a fraudulent application to have SUU certified as a DBE, resulting in the award of approximately 25 fraudulent contracts and subcontracts to SUU in excess of $10 million.

We are investigating this case jointly with the FBI and IRS-CI.