Two Denver-area corporations face federal wire-fraud expenses in a scheme to promote imported Chinese language forklifts to the federal authorities as American-made tools, based on an indictment launched Tuesday.
Limitless Gross sales and Octane Forklifts, together with executives Brian Firkins and Jeffrey Blasdel and former government J.R. Antczak, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on Aug. 21, Division of Justice officers introduced this week.
In keeping with the indictment, Octane’s essential enterprise was shopping for forklifts made in China, rebranding them as American-made and promoting them to native, state and federal authorities shoppers.
The scheme began in August 2018 and continued till at the least July 2024. Investigators say the businesses and executives additionally labored with a Chinese language producer to create pretend invoices that undervalued the imported forklifts to keep away from paying greater than $1 million in tariffs and costs.
In a press release, Division of Homeland Safety Inspector Normal Joseph V. Cuffari stated the businesses bought the forklifts to the Federal Emergency Administration Company and the Division of Protection whereas claiming to adjust to the Purchase American Act.
“It’s particularly reprehensible that this alleged fraud concerned a FEMA contract utilizing catastrophe funds,” Cuffari stated.
The businesses and Firkins, Blasdel and Antczak have been indicted for conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to enter items into the USA by the use of false or fraudulent statements, federal officers stated.
Firkins, Blasdel and Antczak additionally face expenses of wire fraud, and Blasdel is charged with making false statements to the federal government.
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