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ALBANY---The owner of two Brooklyn-based companies who was wrongfully awarded more than 73 no-bid emergency construction contracts with the state worth more than $7 million, has been sentenced to five years of probation.
Vassilios M. Tsimitras, 52, owner of Olympia Construction and Thettalia Construction had been indicted on 21 felony counts of grand larceny and fraud after a 2004 audit by state comptroller Alan Hevesi discovered that Tsimitras had been barred from doing work with the federal government because of allegations that he attempted to bribe federal inspectors. He pleaded guilty to a single count of felony grand larceny and forfeited over a half million dollars.
The state Office of General Services awarded the contracts based on false information provided by Tsimitras and because OGS didn't bother to check his background.
Olympia Construction and Tsimitras, were placed on the Federal government's debarment list for the period of July 25, 2001 through July 24, 2004 after GSA found that Tsimitras had attempted to bribe GSA officials and construction managers to allow an incorrectly installed support beam to remain in place. Since the date of the federal debarment, Olympia was awarded 41 emergency construction contracts through an expedited process. Thettalia, Inc, over which Tsimitras retains full control as its president, received 32 additional contracts.
Robert Brackman, who heads Hevesi's Investigations Division, found that Tsimitras made several false statements and omissions in a sworn document contractors are required to file with the OGS. For example, Tsimitras lied on the form about whether he had been debarred. In fact, Tsimitras and his companies had been terminated from federal contracts and debarred from eligibility to bid on further federal contracts for three years. In a letter sent to OGS Commissioner Kenneth Ringler, Brackman said the investigation also uncovered potentially serious labor issues that may indicate questionable practices including prevailing wage violations, potential "phantom" employees on his payroll, and federal and state tax and/or immigration violations.
Hevesi referred the matter to the Albany County District Attorney, as well as to the New York State Labor Department, the New York State Department of Tax and Finance, the Federal Internal Revenue Service and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Department. 11-27-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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