Investigations

On December 26, 2018, FHWA debarred Century Steel Erectors Company, L.P. (Century Steel), Dravosburg, Pennsylvania, and its president and owner, Donald R. Taylor, for 3 years. Taylor previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for his role in a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) fraud scheme involving federally funded bridge projects in Pennsylvania. He admitted that he joined and presided over a pass-through scheme in which Century Steel used a certified DBE as a front company to obtain profits from DBE subcontracts.

 

The investigation revealed that WMCC Inc. (WMCC), a certified DBE, failed to perform a “commercially useful function” on Federal funded highway projects. Instead, Century Steel officials were the ones who found, negotiated, coordinated, performed, managed, and supervised DBE subcontracts related to bridge construction. To conceal the scheme, Century Steel used WMCC letterhead and email accounts when communicating with general contractors and officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Century Steel also possessed WMCC business cards, T-shirts, and hard hats, and used WMCC magnetic placards to conceal its own logos on construction vehicles.

 

DOT-OIG and the FBI conducted this investigation, assisted by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission OIG.