ADVERTISEMENT
Landscaping Exec Indicted08-13-07 | News
img
 

Landscaping Exec Indicted

An Arlington Heights, Il. landscaping executive was indicted on the charges that he used a sham minority business to obtain more than $1.5 million in contracts from the Chicago Public School district. Aidan Monahan is accused of portraying a minority-owned business as separate from his firm, Monahan Landscape Co., when in fact he was in control of the minority business. The contracts, worth over $1.5 million spanned from April 2003 to September 2006.

?EUR??,,????'??Fraud in government contracts is a serious problem,?EUR??,,????'?? U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald said in a statement. ?EUR??,,????'??We will continue to prosecute companies that use sham minority contractors, or any other kind of fraud, to obtain public contracts.?EUR??,,????'??

Prosecutors allege Monahan controlled the minority firm?EUR??,,????'???s bank account and that the minority firm did landscape work under direction from Monahan and using Monahan Landscape?EUR??,,????'???s equipment.

The minority firm is identified in the indictment only as ?EUR??,,????'??Company A.?EUR??,,????'?? But in September, CPS officials said their own investigation had found that Monahan had used Chicago-based Rohar Trucking as a front to secure work intended for minority-owned businesses.

img