Cyber Crime: LESTER COLEMAN Indicted For Allegedly Fraudulently Obtaining Millions in Chicago Housing Authority Contracts

<h2>Construction Company Owner Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining More Than &dollar;2&period;75 Million in Chicago Housing Authority Contracts<&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p>The owner of a construction company has been indicted for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than &dollar;2&period;75 million in Chicago Housing Authority contracts designed to benefit minority-owned businesses&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"mh-content-ad"><script async src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;pagead2&period;googlesyndication&period;com&sol;pagead&sol;js&sol;adsbygoogle&period;js&quest;client&equals;ca-pub-9162800720558968"&NewLine; crossorigin&equals;"anonymous"><&sol;script>&NewLine;<ins class&equals;"adsbygoogle"&NewLine; style&equals;"display&colon;block&semi; text-align&colon;center&semi;"&NewLine; data-ad-layout&equals;"in-article"&NewLine; data-ad-format&equals;"fluid"&NewLine; data-ad-client&equals;"ca-pub-9162800720558968"&NewLine; data-ad-slot&equals;"1081854981"><&sol;ins>&NewLine;<script>&NewLine; &lpar;adsbygoogle &equals; window&period;adsbygoogle &vert;&vert; &lbrack;&rsqb;&rpar;&period;push&lpar;&lbrace;&rcub;&rpar;&semi;&NewLine;<&sol;script><&sol;div>&NewLine;<p>LESTER COLEMAN owned Coleman Development Corp&period;&comma; a Chicago-based construction company and certified minority-owned business&period; From 2010 to 2018&comma; Coleman falsely represented to the CHA that his company would perform construction work sufficient to satisfy the agency’s minority-owned business requirements&comma; which mandated that a certain percentage of work on CHA properties be performed by minority or women-owned enterprises&comma; according to an indictment returned Thursday in U&period;S&period; District Court in Chicago&period; In reality&comma; Coleman subcontracted nearly all of the work to a company that was not certified as a minority-owned business&comma; the indictment states&period; Coleman&comma; through his company&comma; fraudulently obtained more than &dollar;2&period;75 million in payments from the CHA contracts&comma; including for construction or rehab work on properties in the Chicago neighborhoods of West Ridge&comma; North Park&comma; Albany Park&comma; Archer Heights&comma; and Oakland&comma; the indictment states&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The charges also allege that Coleman falsely represented and certified to the CHA that the employees performing the work were paid the prevailing wages required by federal labor laws&comma; when&comma; in fact&comma; they were not paid the prevailing wages&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The indictment charges Coleman&comma; 62&comma; of Chicago&comma; with three counts of wire fraud&period; An arraignment date in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The indictment was announced by John R&period; Lausch&comma; Jr&period;&comma; United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois&semi; Elissa Rhee-Lee&comma; Inspector General of the CHA&semi; Brad Geary&comma; Special Agent-in-Charge of the U&period;S&period; Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General in Chicago&semi; and Irene Lindow&comma; Special Agent-in-Charge of the U&period;S&period; Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General in Chicago&period; The government is represented by Assistant U&period;S&period; Attorney Stephen Heinze&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt&period; The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison&period; If convicted&comma; the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U&period;S&period; Sentencing Guidelines&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

Cyber Crime