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Investigations

Date

President and Owner of New York-Based DBE Contractor Indicted for Role in DBE Scheme

On October 6, 2011, in U.S. District Court, New York, NY, Yona Jimenez, the president and owner of Global Marine Construction Supply (GMCS), a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), was indicted on a mail fraud charge for her role as a pass-through DBE purporting to provide structural steel on the Federal Highway Administration-funded Cross Westchester Expressway Project. 

The general contractor of the project claimed that GMCS had been awarded a subcontract of over $6 million to supply structural steel to reconstruct bridges on the project although another company (a non-DBE) actually supplied the steel.  The general contractor then claimed credit for the "services" provided by GMCS toward meeting the DBE goal.  GMCS was paid approximately 1% of the subcontract value as a commission for its DBE "services".  The indictment also seeks forfeiture in the amount of the illegal proceeds gained by Ms. Jimenez.           

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