Contractor admits to $1.5 million bid-rigging in New Mexico
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A man from Shiprock, New Mexico, has pled guilty to putting together a scheme to rig contracting bids and launder money, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The man, 61-year-old William Badoni, admitted to working with another person to get non-public information about ongoing construction projects. Badoni then used that information to get an unfair advantage in the contract bidding process, defrauding a federally-funded Native American educational institution, the DOJ says.
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The contracts and change orders in the scheme earned Badoni approximately $1.5 million over the course of several years, the DOJ says. Badoni also admitted to trying to conceal the funds by trying to avoid creating financial records for the funds, the DOJ says.
Badoni is still awaiting his sentencing, which has not been scheduled. But he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. The DOJ says his co-conspirator, Elroy Harry, has already pled guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program fraud.
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