Investigations

On January 18, 2023, an information filed in the Superior Court of Providence, Rhode Island, charged Barletta Heavy Division, Inc. and former Barletta construction superintendent Dennis Ferreira with two counts of disposing solid waste at a location not licensed as a solid waste management facility, one count of operating a solid waste management facility without a license, and one count of providing false statements.

 

In October 2022, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island entered into a civil settlement agreement with Barletta. The company agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act related to Federal Highway Administration and FTA-funded projects. In December 2022, Ferreira pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island to making false statements in connection with a federally funded highway project.

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with the U.S. Department of Labor-OIG with assistance from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Law Enforcement.

 

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