EMBEZZLEMENT VDOT engineer pleads guilty

EMBEZZLEMENT

VDOT engineer pleads guilty — state after TransCore

Virginia prosecutors continue an active investigation of TransCore’s involvement in embezzlement of $366k in connection with installation of an electronic toll collection system on the Dulles Toll Road according to Virginia state’s attorney, Bill Fitzpatrick. Syntonic (now TransCore) the systems integrator for the project paid 7 bills submitted by Charles Leroy Williams, the then state engineer in charge of the project, for amounts averaging $40k+ each for fictitious work. In turn TransCore (as Syntonic) billed the state for the first 6 invoices totalling the $366k.

Along with legitimate bills Williams submitted the phony invoices which were on the letterhead of GP Wooten Telephone & Equipment Co owned by William’s father-in-law, George P Wooten of Appomattox VA. Wooten also remains a target of the investigation along with TransCore, Fitzpatrick told us early March.

After auditors discovered the fraud last spring the state seized $225k of funds in Williams’ bank account. They were alerted by the e-toll project running heavily over budget.

Williams who had resigned from VDOT after auditors got wind of the scheme pled guilty to the embezzlement in court Dec 3 97 and the judge called the case “an absolutely outrageous breech of trust.” Sentencing was held up for wo months apparently as part of the effort to gain William’s cooperation in investigation of the father-in-law and TransCore. Investigators apparently have not gotten a satisfactory explanation as to why TransCore paid so many bills for work that was not done.

Williams was recently sentenced to 10 years jail and ordered to pay restitution of $109k to the state. 8 years of his sentence can be remanded.