DOJ Procurement Collusion Strike Force Secures First Jury Verdict

On February 1, a North Carolina jury found Brent Brewbaker, a former executive of Contech Engineered Solutions LLC (Contech), guilty of criminal antitrust and fraud charges arising out of his involvement in rigging bids for aluminum structure projects that were submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Specifically, the jury found Brewbaker guilty on all six charged counts: conspiracy to rig bids, conspiracy to commit mail or wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of wire fraud. Brewbaker is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12 and could face a maximum of 10 years in prison for the bid-rigging charge and 20 years for each of the other counts. On February 8, US District Court Judge Louise Flanagan denied Brewbaker's motion for acquittal, holding that the government brought sufficient evidence to support his conviction.