A Minnesota asphalt paving contractor has reached a $1.75 million settlement after being accused of using unauthorized gravel materials on three road construction projects and making false claims about them, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.<\/p>\n
The Attorney’s Office alleges that Mark Sand & Gravel of Fergus Falls used substandard materials on paving projects on Highways 34, 59\/10 and 78 in the Detroit Lakes area. The company used waste or shale rock in the gravel mixes on the federally funded projects between 2013 and 2015, the office says. The office also alleges the company made “materially false claims and statements in connection with its use of those materials.”<\/p>\n
\u201cPerforming road construction projects funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation comes with a set of detailed terms and specifications,” says Andrea M. Kropf, special agent-In-charge for the Midwestern Region of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. <\/p>\n
“When companies fail to follow contract specifications, use unauthorized materials and make false statements concerning the quality of materials, the integrity of the work being performed is compromised.\u201d <\/p>\n
The contractor was cited under the U.S. and Minnesota false claims acts.<\/p>\n
\u201cFailing to uphold contractual obligations by agreeing to do one thing but then doing another is not acceptable,\u201d said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk. \u201cWe will continue to use the False Claims Act and other tools at our disposal to ensure that contractors act with transparency and do the work they promised to do.\u201d<\/p>\n