KEN KIRSCHENBAUM, ESQ ALARM - SECURITY INDUSTRY LEGAL EMAIL NEWSLETTER / THE ALARM EXCHANGE You can read all of our articles on our website. Having trouble getting our emails? Change your spam controls and whitelist ken@kirschenbaumesq.com ********************** Fire alarm co owners indicted in New York for fraudulent overbilling December 8, 2023 ************************* Fire alarm co owners indicted in New York for fraudulent overbilling ************************* The United States Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of New York announced an indictment against two fire alarm company owners. I’ve redacted their names. Here is the press release, redacted. ****** Principals of Fire Alarm Repair Company Charged with Decade-Long Scheme to Overbill City Agencies Defendants Significantly Overbilled City Agencies Through Numerous Fabricated Invoices With Fraudulently Inflated Prices An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging two defendants, with wire fraud conspiracy for systematically defrauding the City of New York. The defendants are charged with overbilling New York City agencies for more than a decade in connection with contracts to repair and maintain fire alarm systems. “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were hired to make sure that the fire alarm systems in hundreds of New York City buildings functioned safely and effectively,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendants took this as an opportunity to steal and defraud, abusing and betraying their obligations. This indictment demonstrates our Office’s commitment to holding accountable government contractors who fleece city agencies and taxpayers.” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “These defendants, as charged, overbilled City agencies for more than a decade, including the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Sanitation, by submitting fraudulent invoices reflecting inflated prices. I thank our federal law enforcement partners for their commitment to protect the City’s resources and to hold accountable vendors who use their City contracts to engage in fraud.” “Doing business with the city is a privilege [redacted] allegedly abused for over a decade. Their alleged crimes milked the city of valuable resources. They got used to getting paid more for less, but today it caught up to them,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “The defendants in this case took money out of the pockets of hard-working New Yorkers by allegedly overbilling the city with fake invoices and inflated prices. This fraud affects all those taxpayers who trusted that the City was paying for services rendered. The defendants are now being held responsible for their criminal acts and will face justice for their decades-long scheme.” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants exercised control over Fire Alarm Electrical Corp., a company that held numerous contracts with New York City agencies to repair and maintain fire alarm systems. For more than a decade, Fire Alarm Electrical Corp. overbilled those agencies by submitting fraudulent invoices with dramatically inflated prices, including invoices that purported to be from legitimate retailers, which the defendants had altered and modified, as well as invoices from shell companies that the defendants owned and controlled. The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The defendants face maximum sentences of 20 years’ imprisonment. ************************** STANDARD FORM AGREEMENTS: To order up to date Standard Form Alarm / Security / Fire and related Agreements click here: www.alarmcontracts.com *************************** CONCIERGE LAWYER SERVICE PROGRAM FOR THE ALARM INDUSTRY - You can check out the program and sign up here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/concierge or contact our Program Coordinator Stacy Spector, Esq at 516 747 6700 x 304. *********************** WEBINARS:https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/alarm-webinars *********************** ALARM ARTICLES: You can always read our Articles on our website at www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/alarm-articles updated daily ************************* THE ALARM EXCHANGE - the alarm industries leading classified and business exchange - updated daily. https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/alarm-exchange ************************* Wondering how much your alarm company is worth? Click here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/what-is-my-alarm-company-worth ****************************** Getting on our email list / Articles archived: Many of you are forwarding these emails to friends or asking that others be added to the list. Sign up for our daily newsletter here: Sign Up. ************************** Ken Kirschenbaum,Esq Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum PC Attorneys at Law 200 Garden City Plaza Garden City, NY 11530 516 747 6700 x 301 ken@kirschenbaumesq.com www.KirschenbaumEsq.com
