Summary

On May 18, 2016, Akram Ahmad, of Bridgeport, CT, was arrested based on a criminal complaint charging him in the State of New York with forgery, possession of a forged instrument, and offering a false instrument for filing. Ahmad was arraigned in the Lake Pleasant Justice Court, Lake Pleasant, NY, and released pending further court action. 

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) bridge inspection program receives Federal funding through the Federal Highway Administration. The charges stem from Ahmad's role in the alleged falsification of a Hamilton County, NY, bridge inspection report in December 2013. Ahmad was an employee of an engineering firm that subcontracted to conduct bridge inspections for the NYSDOT. Ahmad purportedly conducted an inspection of the Gilmantown Road Bridge in December 2013. The same bridge was previously inspected in 2012 and found to have various defects. These deficiencies in the 2012 inspection report were repaired in September 2013. However, Ahmad's subsequent inspection report of the same bridge in December 2013 noted the same deficiencies and used much of the same language from the 2012 report. The NYSDOT was able to perform an inspection in early 2014 and found that the repairs to the bridge had indeed been made.

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation jointly with the New York State Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department.

Note: Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints are only accusations by the Government. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.