A man authorities describe as part of a years-long conspiracy to rig bids at major construction projects across Connecticut has agreed to pay the government more than $300,000 in addition to serving five months in prison. Gary DeVoe of Bethlehem is one of four men and three companies convicted of dividing up among themselves industrial insulation contracts at public and private construction projects valued at $39 million. “The charged bid-rigging conspiracy occurred amongst individuals at competing insulation contractors seeking to allocate customers amongst insulation contractors and extract higher prices from project owners,” federal prosecutors said in court filings. “The aim of the bid-rigging was to fraudulently benefit all of the insulation companies, rather than directly lining the pockets of any particular individual.” The jobs involved installing insulation around heating, cooling and duct systems at 34 new construction and renovation jobs. The government claims the rigged bids cost building owners more than $1 million in losses.
https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-conn-bid-rigging-conspiracy-20230209-20230209-vpb65gcs3zhwfekdphps24wvbi-story.html