Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, has announced that Don C. Richards, aged 53 from Milford, has admitted his involvement in a construction project fraud scheme. Richards waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport.
Court documents reveal that Richards, a senior project manager at a Massachusetts-based mechanical contractor, was involved in fraudulent activities from November 2014 through February 2018. He conspired with a subcontractor who was a principal of an insulation company to defraud his employer and project owners by inflating change orders on certain projects he managed. In return for his participation in the scheme, Richards received payments and benefits such as gift cards and funds for a golf club membership.
Richards has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which could result in up to 20 years of imprisonment. He has also agreed to pay restitution amounting to $396,966.
Following his arrest on October 19, 2021, Richards is currently released on a $100,000 bond while awaiting sentencing scheduled for July 5.
The investigation into this case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang with support from the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division in New York.
