The owner of a construction company has been sentenced to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $1 million in restitution for defrauding the U.S. government.
According to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bill R. Miller has been sentenced to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay $984,699.53 in restitution for defrauding the United States government. In addition to the prison sentence and restitution, the defendant was also ordered to forfeit $150,000 in proceeds from the fraud.
“This sentence sends a strong message that criminals who corrupt the competitive bidding process will face stern consequences,” Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division said, according to the press release. “Protecting infrastructure spending and taxpayer dollars remains a top priority for the Antitrust Division and our Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners.”
According to court documents, Miller pleaded guilty to charges of bid rigging and bribery. Miller paid nearly $1 million in bribes to former Caltrans' contract manager Choon Foo “Keith” Yong to receive government work contracts. He then submitted false invoices for work that was never performed and also used unauthorized subcontractors to perform work on the contracts.
Miller's actions were in violation of the False Claims Act, which is designed to protect the government from fraudulent claims. The act imposes civil and criminal penalties on individuals and companies that knowingly submit false claims for payment to the government. This case is an example of the government's commitment to prosecuting those who engage in fraud against the United States.
“A lengthy investigation and a series of guilty pleas has led to the sentencing today for a bid-rigging and bribery conspiracy,” U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California said, according to the press release. “But our work is not done. Anticompetitive practices harm taxpayers and legitimate businesses alike. My office will continue to investigate and prosecute such conduct.”
Yong pleaded guilty for his role in the bid-rigging and bribery scheme on April 11, 2022, and Miller's former business partner and a co-conspirator in the case, William D. Opp, pleaded guilty in the case on Oct. 3, 2022. They are both, currently, awaiting sentencing.
