BOSTON - An Acton woman was sentenced today in connection with her role in defrauding the U.S. Treasury Department of more than $50 million in tax free energy grants as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Jessica Metivier, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one year of probation. In September 2020, Metivier pleaded guilty to attempts to interfere with administration of internal revenue laws.
Metivier was originally charged in 2017 along with her partner, Christopher N. Condron, 49. Condron has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Metivier admitted that fraudulent applications submitted in her name to the Treasury Department for energy grants as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 resulted in millions of dollars in undeserved federal grants. The Recovery Act provided tax-free grants to individuals and businesses who put certain “specified energy property"-such as wind farms and gasification systems that convert trash into electricity-into service in a trade or business.
The government alleges that from May 2009 to June 2013, fraudulent grant applications were submitted in Metivier’s name to the Treasury Department on behalf of four different Massachusetts companies: Acton Bio Energy, Concord Nurseries, Kansas Green Energy, and ocean Wave Energy. According to the government, each application falsely claimed that Metivier and her entities had acquired, placed into service, or started construction of energy property, which included three different bio-fuel gasification systems, purportedly built at a cost of approximately $88 million. The applications sought reimbursement for more than $50 million based on those costs - costs the government alleges were never actually incurred. The government further alleges that the fraudulent applications in Metivier’s name resulted in federal grants totaling more than $8 million.
Metivier has admitted that she provided false information to federal agents investigating the fraudulent applications. For example, she falsely claimed that Concord Nurseries paid $26 million for the claimed bio-fuel gasification systems. She made false statements to agents regarding the manufacturer and financier of the systems, and she falsely claimed she first met Condron through the Acton Bio transaction, when in fact they had lived together for years before that transaction.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. and Elysa Wan of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This release was modified on March 9, 2021.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
