On October 12, 2022, FHWA debarred Kenneth Mix, former Equipment Supervisor at McClain and Co., Inc. (McClain), a Government contractor providing under-bridge inspection (UBI) vehicles and operators to various State DOTs and engineering firms under Federal aid contracts, from doing business with the Federal Government for a 5-year period. The debarment is retroactive from the date of suspension, April 27, 2018.
Search
Library Item
10.25.2022
On October 6, 2022, Alexis Castillo Padilla pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California to four counts of wire fraud stemming from a scheme to defraud interstate carriers and brokers operating in the trucking industry. Padilla was indicted in May 2019.
Library Item
10.24.2022
In fiscal year 2021, the Department of Transportation (DOT) reported $12.7 billion, net value, in capitalized general property, plant, and equipment, which included $4.6 billion in equipment with a service life of 5 to 15 years. The General Services Administration establishes that personal property management helps Federal agencies mitigate waste, fraud, and loss of assets. Accordingly, we are initiating this audit. Our objective is to assess DOT’s internal controls for managing capitalized equipment.
Library Item
10.20.2022
On September 29, 2022, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, entered into a civil settlement agreement with Fire Service Plus, Inc. (FSP), in which FSP agreed to pay $985,131 to resolve civil False Claims Act allegations. FSP produces commercial and military-grade fire suppression foam for use on U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels and firefighting equipment for U.S. Government agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration-governed Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Departments.
Library Item
10.17.2022
What We Looked At
Library Item
10.14.2022
On June 15, 2022, Marc J. Stout was given a 1-year deferred disposition in Fairfax County General District Court for a charge of trespassing with a drone to harass. An accompanying charge of use of a drone to contact or make images was dismissed, nolle prosequi. Fairfax County General District Court will also dismiss the trespassing charge if Stout does not violate any laws until June 15, 2023.
Library Item
10.13.2022
Human factors, including fatigue, remain the leading cause of reportable non-grade crossing train accidents. To address fatigue-related safety risks, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) oversees compliance with hours of service (HOS) laws and regulations, which prescribe railroad employee maximum time on duty and minimum rest hours. Given the impact of operational practices changes on staffing spurred by precision scheduled railroading and that human factors, including fatigue, continue to be a leading cause of non-grade crossing train accidents, we are initiating this audit.
Library Item
10.12.2022
On September 30, 2022, Julio Mitjans was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida for stealing large volumes of fuel while in transport from Port Everglades, Florida, to gas stations in South Florida. Mitjans was sentenced to 30 months of incarceration, 3 years of supervised release, $300,744 in restitution, a $15,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Library Item
10.12.2022
On September 28, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts sentenced Manuel Alejandro Pujols Diaz to 25 months of incarceration and a $200 special assessment. In May 2022, Pujols Diaz pleaded guilty to false representation of a Social Security Number (SSN) and aggravated identity theft. Pujols Diaz used the name and SSN of another individual to submit fraudulent applications to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles from July to September 2016. As a result, Pujols Diaz obtained a Massachusetts ID and driver's license under the victim's identity.
Library Item
10.11.2022
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorized about $660 billion in funding for new and existing U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) programs. To support the Department in meeting its mission while promoting effective stewardship of significant taxpayer dollars, we identified key challenges and potential risks for DOT’s consideration in bolstering its implementation and oversight of IIJA.
Library Item
10.07.2022