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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a former project manager for Laidlaw
Transit Services, Inc. was indicted today
for fraudulently overbilling Burlington County
for bus services for the elderly and disabled.
According
to Director Gramiccioni, Isaiah Davis, 61,
of Clementon, was charged in a state grand
jury indictment with making false representations
for a government contract (2nd degree), submitting
false payment claims for a government contract
(2nd degree), theft by deception (3rd degree),
tampering with public records or information
(3rd degree), and falsifying or tampering
with records (4th degree).
The
indictment alleges that between March 10,
2003 and Feb. 19, 2004, Davis, as a project
manager at Laidlaw’s Cinnaminson location,
knowingly submitted false invoices and false
supporting documents regarding bus services
provided by the company under its contract
with the Burlington County Transportation
System to provide transportation to elderly
and disabled county residents. He allegedly
overbilled the BCTS by approximately $32,956
by billing for bus trips that were not provided
on transportation routes to Buttonwood Hospital
and the VA Hospital in Philadelphia. Under
the contract, the BCTS paid a certain rate
per trip, times the actual number of trips
provided.
The
investigation was conducted and coordinated
for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption
Bureau by Detective Stacy Scott, who is lead
detective on the case, Detective Sgt. David
Patella, Detective David Nolan and Civil Investigator
Wayne Cummings, along with Deputy Attorney
General Anthony A. Picione, deputy chief of
the Corruption Bureau, and Deputy Attorneys
General Pearl Minato and Frank Muroski. Deputy
Attorneys General Picione and Minato presented
the case to the state grand jury.
Second-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years
in prison and a $150,000 fine, while third-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years
in prison and a $15,000 fine. Fourth-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 18 months
in prison and a $10,000 fine. The indictment
is merely an accusation and the defendant
is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The
indictment was handed up to Superior Court
Judge Linda R. Feinberg in Mercer County,
who assigned the case to Burlington County,
where Davis will be ordered to appear in court
at a later date to answer the charges.
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