construction company received $10 million to swap out Newark lead pipes for copper... faked the work

"As our complaint alleges, Michael Sawyer and Latronia Sanders worked for a company hired by the city of Newark to replace lead pipes, but instead, they intentionally left lead pipes in the ground," U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. "By causing misleading photographs and verification forms to be submitted, Sawyer and Sanders concealed that they intentionally did not replace lead pipes and defrauded Newark by collecting payment for work they did not properly perform."

Beginning in 2016, high levels of lead were found in the drinking water in some of Newark's schools.

From 2017 to 2019, periodic testing of Newark's drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection showed lead levels that were among the highest of any major city in the United States.

In March 2019, Newark announced plans to replace approximately 18,000 lead service lines. The city gave JAS Group Enterprises a $10 million contract to switch the lead pipes for copper ones.

"At several sites, Sawyer and Sanders deliberately instructed workers to leave lead pipes in the ground and then took steps to deceive Newark and others so that they would not find out that lead remained," Sellinger said.

The two are accused of duping the city with misleading photos and documents to get paid for the work that was never done.

https://abc7ny.com/post/newark-lead-construction-company-ceo-foreperson-accused-failing-replace-pipes/15389498/

Company lied about removing lead pipes in Newark, prosecutors allege

Michael Sawyer of Burlington County and Latronia “Tee” Sanders of Roselle Park were each arrested Thursday and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to prosecutors. Sawyer is the CEO of JAS, one of several construction companies contracted for the massive pipe replacement project. Sanders was a foreman on the Newark project who, according to a federal investigator, ordered workers to cover up lead pipes while submitting false documentation of the company’s work.


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The criminal complaint alleges that Sawyer and Sanders, along with other unnamed co-conspirators, submitted official filings that misrepresented their work — including claims that they’d replaced lead pipes that were left in the ground. They also claimed to have removed lead pipes in areas where pipes had already been replaced by others, prosecutors say.

“We allege the subjects in this investigation knew they were not replacing the lead pipes, and then passed off misleading photos to conceal the ones they left in the ground,” Nelson I. Delgado, an acting special agent of the FBI, said in a statement.

At least five unnamed witnesses told investigators that Sanders personally ordered workers not to replace lead pipes, prosecutors allege. Witnesses also claimed they had been ordered to dig into asphalt to create the appearance of pipe replacements that never happened, while Sanders submitted misleading photos of projects to request payment from the city, according to prosecutors.

Newark began checking sites that JAS supervised earlier this year, finding “roughly 28” sites in the city’s southern and western neighborhoods that still had lead pipes. Pipes at those locations have since been replaced, but it’s unclear how many more lead pipes remain.

https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/10/03/company-lied-about-removing-lead-pipes-in-newark-prosecutors-allege/