Investigations

On September 14, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York sentenced Paresh Patel to 2 months’ incarceration, a $10,000 fine, 3 years’ supervised release, 300 hours’ community service, and a $100 special court assessment. A former program manager and engineer with the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Patel pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice on March 11, 2020.

 

Patel worked at MTA for over 30 years and was responsible for oversight of capital projects, among other things, including Superstorm Sandy–related projects funded by DOT. He and another former MTA employee created Satkirti Consulting Engineering, LLC, placing the company in their children’s names to subvert MTA’s conflict-of-interest rules. When New York City Transit Authority, which is part of MTA, issued a request for proposals for construction management services on a Superstorm Sandy–related project, Patel and his colleague put Satkirti forward as a subcontractor with a contract valued at approximately $1.02 million. Patel took steps to conceal his interests in Satkirti from the MTA. He also obstructed the subsequent Federal grand jury investigation by deleting corporate emails and asking others to conceal his involvement with Satkirti when they were questioned by Federal agents.

 

DOT-OIG and MTA-OIG conducted this investigation.