The owner of a Colorado trucking company has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for his role in a kickback scheme that defrauded a utility contractor out of almost $1.5 million.
Henry Lozano, 43, of Lozano Trucking LLC in Fort Lupton, received a 23-month prison sentence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced this week.
Co-conspirators Edward Joseph Chmiel, 50, and Sabino Loera, 51, received sentences of 30 and 25 months, respectively.
According to court documents, Chmiel and Loera worked for a company that provided electrical contracting services to a Colorado utility. Beginning in August 2018, they conspired with Lozano, who owned a trucking and hauling business, to submit fake invoices from Lozano Trucking. The goal was to generate kickback payments for Chmiel and Loera.
The scheme involved Lozano issuing checks to a network of 15 individuals, who then cashed them and funneled the money back to Chmiel and Loera. Between August 2018 and June 2020, the fraudulent invoices led to $1,495,781.51 in kickback proceeds.
In addition to their prison sentences, all three men were hit with forfeiture money judgments totaling nearly $1.5 million each. They must also repay that amount in restitution.
“We are proud to pursue people who enrich themselves by stealing money which was supposed to provide important services for Coloradans,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly. He praised the investigative work of the IRS and FBI in bringing the case to justice.
Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigations in Denver, added, “This sentence should serve as a reminder that commercial bribery and corruption will not be tolerated.”
FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek echoed that sentiment: “Fraud and kickback schemes erode public trust and undermine the systems our communities rely on. This outcome proves that when agencies work together, we can root out corruption and hold offenders accountable.”
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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