Gregory
A. White, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced
today that Anthony Katsourakis, owner of American Painting Company, was
sentenced by United States District Judge Dan A. Polster to a prison
term of 21 months, two years of supervised release and a special assessment
of $200.00. Judge Polster also ordered Katsourakis and co-defendant American
Painting Company to pay restitution of $2,256,000.00 to the Ohio Department
of Transportation (“ODOT”). The sentencing
follows Katsourakis’ plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy and
one count of bribery in connection with bribes Katsourakis paid to an ODOT
bridge inspector in 2001 in the form of $24,000 in cash and the use of
a Florida residence.
The object of the
conspiracy was for American Painting to minimize expense and maximize
profit in connection with a $2.25 million contract to paint 14 bridges
over I-90 on Cleveland’s west side. Through bribery, Katsourakis
influenced the ODOT inspector, Darryl Isaac, to overlook contract specifications
and to file false inspection reports with ODOT. Isaacs, who cooperated
in the investigation of Katsourakis, pleaded guilty to falsifying inspection
reports in connection with the I-90 bridges. He was sentenced in 2004 by
Judge John Adams to a two-year term of probation with six months of home
confinement.
As a result of Katsourakis’ failure
to comply with ODOT specifications, ODOT will be forced to repaint the
bridges at considerable expense.
Katsourakis, age 63, resides at 670 Robinson Road, Campbell, Ohio.
Katsourakis and American Painting Company are the latest to be sentenced
in a series of 17 defendants who have been charged in connection with corruption
in the bridge painting industry. This case was prosecuted by Assistant
United States Attorney Ann C. Rowland following investigation by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, the United States Departments of Labor and Transportation,
and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
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