TRENTON – A Wall Township contractor will lose his ability to enter into government or quasi-government contracts for five years when he is sentenced for fraudulently billing a state agency for bogus expenses as part of a roofing contract.
Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal reported Andrew J. Clark, 54 and his companies were sentenced today for fraudulently billing the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (“PVSC”), a state agency, for $10,210 in fictitious expenses under a contract with the agency.
Clark, 54, his companies, Roof Management, Inc., and A&S Enterprises, Inc., were sentenced by Superior Court Judge Sharifa R. Salaam in Essex County. He was sentenced to a five-year term of probation, conditioned on him serving 120 hours of community service.
In addition, he was ordered with his companies to pay restitution to the PVSC and a $75,000 anti-corruption profiteering penalty. Clark will be debarred for a period of five years from all government or quasi-government contracts, and the two companies will be debarred from such contracts for 10 years.
Clark pleaded guilty on Sept. 4, 2020 to a third-degree criminal charge of false contract payment claims for a government contract. Roof Management and A&S Enterprises pleaded guilty that day to second-degree false contract payment claims for a government contract.
With his guilty plea, Clark admitted that he falsely billed the PVSC for equipment rental costs of $10,210 that he claimed Roof Management incurred under the contract with the PVSC.
There were no actual equipment rentals made and the PVSC disputed the equipment rental expenses, but ultimately paid out $5,972 in settlement of that claim.
“We’re sending a loud and clear message to dishonest contractors that this type of crime does not pay. We’re committed to using all available tools, including New Jersey’s strong criminal laws, to protect the integrity of public contracts and hold bad actors accountable,” Attorney General Grewal said.
“We will continue to work with government agencies to investigate fraud involving public contracts and prosecute dishonest operators who break the law to increase their profits,” said OPIA Director Thomas Eicher.
“We urge anyone who has information about fraud in government contracting to contact us confidentially at 1-844-OPIA-TIPS,” Eicher added.
OPIA has a toll-free tipline 1-844-OPIA-TIPS for the public to report corruption. The AG’s Office has an Anti-Corruption Reward Program that offers a reward of up to $25,000 for tips leading to a conviction for a crime involving public corruption. Information is posted at: nj.gov/oag/corruption/reward.html.
