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08 SEP 11 PM 1:16
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
CLEVELAND
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
EASTERN DIVISION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
v.
ALLIANCE NATIONAL LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP, d/b/a
DEMILTA IRON & METAL, LTD;
FRANCIS DEMILTA; and
RONALD VAUGHN
Defendants.
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Filed: September 11, 2008
Criminal No.: 1:08CR0068
JUDGE DONALD C. NUGENT
Violations: 15 U.S.C. § 1
18 U.S.C. § 1623; and
18 U.S.C. § 1503
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SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT
The Grand Jury charges:
COUNT I
CONSPIRACY TO RESTRAIN TRADE
IN VIOLATION OF THE SHERMAN ANTITRUST ACT
(15 U.S.C. § 1)
THE DEFENDANTS
1. The following companies and individuals are hereby indicted and
made Defendants in the charge stated below in Count One:
- ALLIANCE NATIONAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, d/b/a/ DEMILTA IRON &
METAL, LTD. (hereinafter "DEMILTA IRON & METAL" unless otherwise
noted); and
- FRANCIS DEMILTA.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
2. Beginning at least as early as August 1997 and continuing at least
until January 2004, the exact dates being unknown to the Grand Jury,
the Defendants DEMILTA IRON & METAL and FRANCIS DEMILTA and co-conspirators
entered into and engaged in a combination and conspiracy to suppress
and restrain competition by allocating scrap metal suppliers for the
purchase of scrap metal in Northeast Ohio. The charged combination and
conspiracy unreasonably restrained interstate trade and commerce in
violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. § 1).
3. The charged combination and conspiracy consisted of a continuing
agreement, understanding, and concert of action among the Defendants
and co-conspirators, the substantial terms of which were to allocate
scrap metal suppliers for the sale of scrap metal in Northeast Ohio,
and, in return for not soliciting scrap suppliers of its co-conspirators,
DEMILTA IRON & METAL was sold scrap metal by its co-conspirators
at prices below market value.
MEANS AND METHODS OF THE CONSPIRACY
4. For the purpose of forming and carrying out the charged combination
and conspiracy, the Defendants and co-conspirators did the following
things, among others:
- participated in meetings and conversations to discuss allocating
suppliers of scrap metal (also referred to in the industry and by
Defendants as accounts and customers);
- agreed, during such meetings and discussions, to allocate scrap
metal suppliers and to not compete against each other for the purchase
of scrap metal;
- allocated, pursuant to their agreement, scrap metal suppliers,
denying such scrap metal suppliers a competitive price and thereby
depressing or maintaining the price that DEMILTA IRON & METAL,
FRANCIS DEMILTA, and their co-conspirators paid for scrap metal;
- agreed, during such meetings and conversations, which designated
co-conspirator would purchase scrap metal from particular scrap metal
suppliers;
- participated in meetings and conversations to discuss the submission
of bids for the purchase of scrap metal;
- refrained from, pursuant to their agreement, competing against
each other;
- agreed, pursuant to their meetings and discussions, that DEMILTA
IRON & METAL would be sold scrap metal by its co-conspirators
at a price below market value in return for DEMILTA IRON & METAL's
agreement not to solicit scrap metal suppliers of its co-conspirators;
- DEMILTA IRON & METAL's co-conspirators sold, pursuant to their
agreement, scrap metal to DEMILTA IRON & METAL at a price below
market value in return for DEMILTA IRON & METAL's not soliciting
scrap metal suppliers of its co-conspirators; and
- DEMILTA IRON & METAL paid, pursuant to their agreement, prices
below market value for scrap metal sold to it by its co-conspirators
in return for DEMILTA IRON & METAL's not soliciting scrap metal
suppliers of its co-conspirators.
THE DEFENDANTS AND CO-CONSPIRATORS
5. Defendant ALLIANCE NATIONAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP is an Ohio limited
partnership that was formed in or about April 1993 and does business
as DEMILTA IRON & METAL, LTD. DEMILTA IRON & METAL is headquartered
in Willoughby, Ohio, and has its principal place of business in Northeast
Ohio. At all times relevant to this Indictment, DEMILTA IRON & METAL
was owned by FRANCIS DEMILTA. At all times relevant to this Indictment,
DEMILTA IRON & METAL was engaged in the purchase and sale of ferrous
and nonferrous scrap metal in Northeast Ohio and elsewhere. DEMILTA
IRON & METAL purchased scrap metal for resale from suppliers of
scrap metal, then sold the scrap metal it purchased to mills and foundries
located inside and outside the State of Ohio.
6. At all times relevant to this Indictment, FRANCIS DEMILTA was the
founder, owner, and president of ALLIANCE NATIONAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP,
d/b/a DEMILTA IRON & METAL, LTD. Prior to forming ALLIANCE NATIONAL
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP and DEMILTA IRON & METAL, FRANCIS DEMILTA was
the founder, owner, and president of DeMilta Scrap & Salvage, Inc.,
a business that FRANCIS DEMILTA started in the early 1980s and which
also was engaged in the purchase and sale of scrap metal. At all times
relevant to this Indictment, FRANCIS DEMILTA was directly engaged in
the purchase and sale of scrap metal and supervised the business activities
of DEMILTA IRON & METAL.
7. Various individuals, companies, and corporations not made Defendants
in this Indictment, participated as co-conspirators in the offense charged
and performed acts and made statements in furtherance of it.
8. Whenever this Count refers to any act, deed, or transaction of
any company or corporation, it means that the company or corporation
engaged in the act, deed, or transaction by or through its officers,
directors, employees, agents, or other representatives while they were
actively engaged in the management, direction, control, or transaction
of its business or affairs.
TRADE AND COMMERCE
9. Ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal is a residual product that has
value. Typically, manufacturing plants, mills, and foundries generate
ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal as a by-product. In the scrap metal
industry, this type of scrap is generally referred to as industrial
scrap. For example, tool and die makers or stamping plants end up with
small or odd-shaped pieces of scrap that are a by-product of their manufacturing
process. This scrap is valuable if picked up, sorted, and sold to mills
or foundries that desire scrap metal as part of their manufacturing
process. The business of scrap metal companies, such as the Defendants
and co-conspirators, generally involves placing collection boxes (e.g.,
lugger and roll off containers) at manufacturers' sites to collect the
scrap metal, then picking it up, processing it, and reselling it to
customers.
10. At all times relevant to this Indictment, Defendants DEMILTA IRON
& METAL, FRANCIS DEMILTA, and co-conspirators (1) purchased ferrous
and nonferrous scrap metal from individuals and companies located inside
and outside the State of Ohio; (2) sold or shipped ferrous and nonferrous
scrap metal to individuals and companies located inside and outside
the State of Ohio; and (3) caused ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal
to be purchased from, sold to, or shipped from or to, individuals and
companies located inside and outside the State of Ohio.
11. At all times relevant to this Count, substantial quantities of
ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal bought and/or sold by the Defendants
and co-conspirators were shipped across state lines in a continuous
and uninterrupted flow of interstate trade and commerce.
12. The activities of the Defendants and co-conspirators that are
the subject of this Count were within the flow of, and substantially
affected, interstate trade and commerce.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
13. The combination and conspiracy charged in this Count was
formed and carried out, in part, by the Defendants DEMILTA IRON &
METAL, FRANCIS DEMILTA, and co-conspirators in the Northern District
of Ohio within the five years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 15, UNITED STATES
CODE, SECTION 1.
COUNT II
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
THE DEFENDANT
14. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
15. At all times relevant to this Indictment, Defendant RONALD VAUGHN
was an employee of Alliance National Limited Partnership, d/b/a DeMilta
Iron & Metal, Ltd. At all times relevant to this Indictment, RONALD
VAUGHN was the vice president of DeMilta Iron & Metal, was directly
engaged in the purchase and sale of scrap metal, and supervised the
business activities of DeMilta Iron & Metal. RONALD VAUGHN and Francis
DeMilta are brothers-in-law.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about an agreement or understanding
between DeMilta Iron & Metal and co-conspirators
not to solicit each other's scrap metal suppliers)
16. On June 7, 2005, in the Northern District of Ohio, RONALD VAUGHN
testified under oath as a witness before the Grand Jury, duly empaneled
by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio,
sitting in Cleveland, Ohio, and knowingly made false material declarations
concerning matters the Grand Jury was investigating, in violation of
18 U.S.C. § 1623.
17. At that time and place, the Grand Jury was conducting an investigation
into possible violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. §
1, and other related federal offenses. The Grand Jury's investigation
included the conduct of DeMilta Iron & Metal and its owners, officers,
and employees, including RONALD VAUGHN and Francis DeMilta.
18. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
if any person or entity engaged in the purchase and sale of scrap metal
had committed a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. §
1, including any agreement to allocate scrap metal suppliers (also called
accounts or customers). Thus, it was material to the Grand Jury to determine
if RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information of, or
participated in, any agreement or understanding with any competitor
(i.e., another scrap metal dealer) to allocate scrap metal
suppliers, in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1, or other related federal
criminal offenses. It was, therefore, material to the Grand Jury to
determine:
- if RONALD VAUGHN was aware of any agreement or understanding between
DeMilta Iron & Metal and other scrap metal companies, including
M. Weingold Company (hereinafter "M. Weingold" or "Weingold Company")
or Harry Rock & Associates, Inc. (hereinafter "Rock" or "Rock
Company"), to allocate or not to solicit each other's scrap metal
suppliers;
- if an agreement was struck at the Holiday Inn in 1997 – or
ever – that DeMilta Iron & Metal would lay off of the accounts
of its major competitor, M. Weingold, and its affiliated companies,
including Rock, in return for M. Weingold and its affiliated companies
laying off of DeMilta Iron & Metal's accounts;
- whether there was ever at any time an agreement between DeMilta
Iron & Metal not to compete with Weingold Company and its affiliated
companies;
- whether there was ever at any time an agreement between DeMilta
Iron & Metal and Weingold Company and any of its affiliated companies
to compete less vigorously than the companies would have competed
but for an agreement; and
- whether there was an agreement or understanding reached at a meeting
at the Holiday Inn – or after – that DeMilta Iron &
Metal would not solicit M. Weingold or its affiliated accounts in
return for M. Weingold not soliciting DeMilta Iron & Metal's scrap
metal accounts.
19. At the aforesaid time and place, RONALD VAUGHN, while under oath,
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN, dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- And, of course, our understanding is that it was used in a way,
that there was an agreement, there was an understanding between your
company and the Weingold Company and the Rock Company[,] which included
Best Atlas after Jack Weingold bought Best Atlas[,] and that agreement
was this: That they would not solicit and take your scrap metal accounts
or suppliers, and in return you would not solicit or take their scrap
metal suppliers.
- That's not accurate.
- That's not accurate?
- No, sir.
- What's inaccurate about it?
- We don't have an agreement.
- You say you don't have an agreement.
- No.
- Did you have an agreement?
- Did not have an agreement.
- Did you ever have an agreement?
- Never had an agreement.
- Never had an understanding?
- Never.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 112, Lines 9-25, and P. 113, Lines 1-5].
* * *
- There was no agreement that you had ever –
- No, sir.
- – ever –
- Never.
- – with the Weingold or the Rock company to lay off of each
other's accounts?
- No, sir.
- Never happened?
- Never happened.
- Never struck at a Holiday Inn meeting?
- No.
- Wasn't struck at some latter meeting?
- No, sir.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 156, Lines 19-25 and P. 157, Lines 1-6.]
* * *
- Mr. Vaughn, I heard your testimony this morning and there are just
a few questions that I'd like to ask you based on what you had to
say this morning.
- Sure.
- The first one is, was there ever at any time an agreement between
your company, that's DeMilta, and the Weingold Company or any of the
affiliated companies, that's Rock and other companies like that –
was there ever an agreement at any time between your company DeMilta
and Weingold not to compete with each other?
- No, sir.
- Was there ever an agreement between your company DeMilta and Weingold
and any of the affiliated companies to compete less vigorously than
the companies would have competed but for an agreement?
- No, sir.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 158, Lines 13-25; P. 159, Lines 1-4].
*************************
20. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware of an agreement
or understanding between DeMilta Iron & Metal and M. Weingold, including
its affiliated companies, including Rock, to allocate or not to solicit
each other's scrap metal suppliers. Further, as RONALD VAUGHN then and
there knew, this agreement was made at the Holiday Inn meeting, in which
he was involved.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
21. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count II
of this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within the five
years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES
CODE, SECTION 1623.
COUNT III
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
22. Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17 of this Indictment are repeated, realleged,
and incorporated in Count III with the same force and effect as if fully
set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
23. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about the substance of a meeting
at the Holiday Inn between DeMilta Iron & Metal officials, including
RONALD VAUGHN, and co-conspirators during which the collusive agreement
was struck)
24. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge or information of,
or participated in, any agreement or understanding with M. Weingold
or Rock to allocate scrap metal suppliers (also called accounts or customers),
in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1, or other related federal criminal
offenses, including:
- whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information
of, or participated in, a meeting at the Holiday Inn in which it was
agreed or understood that Jack Weingold and his companies, M. Weingold
and Rock, would not solicit and go after DeMilta Iron & Metal's
accounts and, in return, DeMilta Iron & Metal would not solicit
and go after M. Weingold and Rock accounts;
- whether, at the Holiday Inn meeting, Jack Weingold ever discussed
or proposed to RONALD VAUGHN or Francis DeMilta that he and his companies,
M. Weingold and Rock, and DeMilta Iron & Metal should quit competing
against each other, or suggested that competition between their companies
should end;
- whether, after the Holiday Inn meeting, there was an agreement
or understanding that DeMilta Iron would not solicit M. Weingold accounts,
and, in return M. Weingold would not solicit DeMilta Iron accounts
- whether, at the Holiday Inn, Jack Weingold ever discussed or proposed
to RONALD VAUGHN or Francis DeMilta that, by competing against each
other, they were costing each other money, or whether the idea of
ending competition was raised;
- whether, at the Holiday Inn meeting, Jack Weingold ever proposed
selling any volume of busheling (a type of scrap metal) to DeMilta
Iron & Metal;
- whether, at the Holiday Inn meeting, there was ever any discussion,
even as a possibility, that M. Weingold would sell busheling to DeMilta
Iron & Metal at a price $25 under the Iron Age price;
- whether, at the conclusion of the Holiday Inn meeting, there were
any definite plans for M. Weingold to sell busheling to DeMilta Iron
& Metal; and
- whether, at the Holiday Inn meeting, there was any proposed volume
of busheling to be sold by M. Weingold to DeMilta Iron & Metal.
25. At the aforesaid time and place, while under oath, RONALD VAUGHN
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- Now, did you meet at the Holiday Inn off Wilson Mills with Jack
Weingold, Loren Margolis, Frank DeMilta and yourself?
- Yes.
- And was there an agreement or understanding reached at that meeting
that DeMilta Iron would not solicit or take Weingold or Weingold affiliated
accounts in return for Weingold not taking or soliciting DeMilta Iron
[s]crap [m]etal accounts?
- No.
- And by accounts I mean companies that sell scrap metal to DeMilta
Iron or Weingold.
- No.
- There was never an agreement like that?
- No, sir.
- After the meeting at the Holiday Inn, was there an agreement reached
or an understanding that DeMilta Iron would not solicit or take Weingold
accounts and in return Weingold would not solicit or take DeMilta
Iron accounts?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 159, Lines 5-25].
* * *
- And at the conclusion of this meeting at the Holiday Inn was there
an agreement or understanding between Jack Weingold and his companies
and you and your company, DeMilta Iron & Metal, that you would
not solicit and go after M. Weingold or Rock accounts and in return
M. Weingold and Rock would not solicit and go after DeMilta accounts?
- No, there was not.
- Was that idea proposed at any time during this Holiday Inn meeting?
- No, it was not.
- Was there ever any discussion at all at this Holiday Inn meeting
where the idea of ending some competition between your company and
Jack Weingold and his companies was discussed or proposed?
- No, there was not.
- That never happened?
- No, it did not.
- And if Jack Weingold said that that's what happened, he's wrong?
- He's wrong.
- And if Loren Margolis said that's what happened, he's wrong?
- Look at the history after the fact and look at all the accounts
that we continued to bang against each other. That's proof in itself.
- We'll get into the history.
- Good.
- All I'm saying is you're sitting here today saying if Jack Weingold
or Loren Margolis have told you, the government, that at this Holiday
Inn meeting that there was some discussion and agreement about each
company not soliciting or going after each other's accounts and trying
to end the competition between the companies, that they have sold
you a bad bill of goods; that that is not correct?
- That's not what took place.
- Didn't happen?
- Did not happen.
- Okay. And there was no discussion about a set volume for bush[e]ling
at this meeting?
- I answered that already. The answer is no.
- There was no discussion about price –
- No.
- – for bush[e]ling at the meeting?
- No.
- Did Jack Weingold at this meeting tell you and Frank DeMilta that
the competition should end?
- No, he did not.
- Did he suggest that in any way?
- No.
- Did Mr. Weingold suggest that it's crazy to keep competing against
each other, that you're just costing each other money?
- No.
- And in fact, that's what competition does; it does cost you money
and it costs them money. Do you agree with that?
- Yes, it does.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 78, Lines 14-25; P. 79, Lines 1-25; and P. 80,
Lines 1-22].
* * *
- At the Holiday Inn meeting that we referred to here, was $25 under
the Iron Age pricing ever discussed as a possibility –
- No, it wasn't.
- Let me finish the question. Was it ever discussed as a possibility
that that would be the price that DeMilta would purchase scrap from
Weingold?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 161, Lines 10-17].
* * *
- All right. I just want to finish up with the meeting and then we'll
take a break. Was there anything else talked about at this meeting?
Was there any definite plans to buy bush[e]ling from the M. Weingold
Company at the conclusion of this meeting?
- No.
- No definite plan?
- No definite plans.
- Was there any proposed volume to be sold to your company by the
M. Weingold Company of bush[e]ling?
- No.
- Nothing proposed at the meeting?
- Nothing.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 76, Lines 6-19].
*************************
26. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that: (1) RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware not
only that the idea of ending competition between M. Weingold and DeMilta
Iron & Metal was proposed and discussed between Jack Weingold and
RONALD VAUGHN and Francis DeMilta at the Holiday Inn, but that an agreement
to allocate scrap metal suppliers was, in fact, struck at the Holiday
Inn meeting whereby M. Weingold and Rock would not solicit DeMilta Iron
& Metal's scrap metal suppliers in return for DeMilta Iron &
Metal not soliciting M. Weingold's and Rock's scrap metal suppliers;
(2) as part of this collusive agreement at the Holiday Inn meeting,
busheling, volume, and pricing were proposed and discussed; (3) RONALD
VAUGHN was, in fact, aware that Jack Weingold discussed the state of
the competition between his company and DeMilta Iron & Metal and
proposed (and the participants at the meeting, including RONALD VAUGHN,
ultimately agreed) that this competition should end because it was costing
each other money; (4) RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware that a price
of $25 under the Iron Age pricing was proposed and discussed
at the Holiday Inn meeting, in which RONALD VAUGHN was involved; and
(5) RONALD VAUGHN was aware, in fact, that, at this Holiday Inn meeting,
plans were proposed and made for DeMilta Iron & Metal to buy busheling
from M. Weingold. JURISDICTION AND VENUE
27. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count III
of this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within five years
preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION
1623.
COUNT IV
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
28. Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17 of this Indictment are repeated, realleged,
and incorporated in Count IV with the same force and effect as if fully
set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
29. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about the substance
of a meeting that occurred at the Holiday Inn
in which RONALD VAUGHN participated)
30. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information of,
or participated in, any meeting resulting in an agreement or understanding
with any competitor (i.e., another scrap metal dealer) to allocate
scrap metal suppliers (also called accounts or customers), in violation
of 15 U.S.C. § 1, or other related federal criminal offenses, including:
- whether, at a meeting at the Holiday Inn, an agreement was made
whereby M. Weingold and Rock officials, including Jack Weingold and
Loren Margolis, and DeMilta Iron & Metal officials, including
RONALD VAUGHN and Francis DeMilta, agreed not to continue going after
(i.e., soliciting) each other's business;
- whether RONALD VAUGHN, in substance, accurately and truthfully
described his one and only meeting with Francis DeMilta, Jack Weingold,
and Loren Margolis at the Holiday Inn; and
- whether it was resolved, at the conclusion of this Holiday Inn
meeting, that the Defendants and co-conspirators would continue to
compete, or whether instead a collusive agreement was struck limiting
competition between the Defendants and co-conspirators.
31. At the aforesaid time and place, while under oath, RONALD VAUGHN
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- All right. So sometime between July of '97 and August '98 you met
with Jack Weingold and Loren Margolis and Frank DeMilta from your
company?
- Uh – huh.
* * *
- And where did this meeting take place?
- Holiday Inn in Wilson Mills, I believe.
- And that's in Highland Heights?
- Yes.
- And there were the four of you present, Jack Weingold?
- That's correct.
- Loren Margolis, yourself?
- That's correct.
- And Frank DeMilta?
- That's correct.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 30, Lines 17-20; P. 31, Lines 9-19].
* * *
- I want to get back to this meeting at the Wilson Mills Holiday
Inn. How did it end? When that meeting ended what was your understanding
as to what was going to happen?
- Neither their firm or our firm would haul anybody's containers.
We would, you know, continue to go after each other's business
and explore the opportunity to buy scrap from one another.
- So it sounds like three things. When that meeting ended there were
three things that were resolved.
- Okay.
- Well, let me go over them. Number one – if I'm wrong let
me know and let the jurors know. This is important stuff. Number one,
that neither party to these lawsuits, neither DeMilta Company or Weingold
and his companies were going to touch each other's industrial scrap
metal containers that were on-site at a particular location; is that
correct?
- Physically, physically handle their containers, correct.
- Physically move them?
- Correct.
- And by that I gather if you went after an M. Weingold or Rock piece
of business and there would obviously be a container there that's
being filled up, somebody would have to arrange for that container
to be moved, you were not going to do it; that's what was agreed to?
- That's correct.
- And reciprocally they also agreed they are not going to move your
boxes?
- That's correct.
- So that is point one that was resolved according to you. Point
two was you said that you were going to continue to go after each
other's business?
- Correct.
- What do you mean by that? What does that mean, go after each other's
business?
- Continue to compete.
- Continue to compete?
- Yes.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 66, Line 25 to P. 68, Line 15].
* * *
- And it was, according to you, resolved at this meeting that you
were going to continue to do that, your company was going to continue
to compete with the M. Weingold Company and the Rock Company; is that
correct?
- That's correct.
- And was there some discussion also about the Weingold Company coming
from their end also going to continue to compete against your company?
- I'm sure there was.
- You're sure there was?
- (Nods head).
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 69, Lines 19-25 and P. 70, Lines 1-5].
*************************
32. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that: (1) RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware that
he and Francis DeMilta had participated in a meeting at the Holiday
Inn with co-conspirators, at which an agreement was made by DeMilta
Iron & Metal officials, RONALD VAUGHN and Francis DeMilta, and their
co-conspirators, Jack Weingold and Loren Margolis, that DeMilta Iron
& Metal would not continue to go after (i.e., not solicit)
the scrap metal suppliers of Jack Weingold's companies, including M.
Weingold and Rock, in return for Jack Weingold's companies not going
after (i.e., not soliciting) the scrap metal suppliers of DeMilta
Iron & Metal ; (2) RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware that his description
as to the substance of his one and only meeting at the Holiday Inn in
which Jack Weingold, Loren Margolis, and Francis DeMilta also participated,
was false and was intended to deceive and mislead the Grand Jury; and
(3) RONALD VAUGHN was aware, in fact, that, opposite of how RONALD VAUGHN
testified, at the conclusion of this Holiday Inn meeting, it was agreed
that DeMilta Iron & Metal and co-conspirators would not
continue to compete against each other.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
33. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count IV
of this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within the five
years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION
1623.
COUNT V
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
34. Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17 of this Indictment are repeated, realleged,
and incorporated in Count V with the same force and effect as if fully
set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
35. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about whether RONALD VAUGHN
discussed specific scrap metal accounts with Loren Margolis)
36. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information of,
or participated in, any meeting resulting in an agreement or understanding
with any competitor (i.e., another scrap metal dealer) to allocate
scrap metal suppliers (also called accounts or customers), in violation
of 15 U.S.C. § 1, or other related federal criminal offenses, including:
- whether RONALD VAUGHN, at any meeting or discussion with his competitor,
Loren Margolis, ever talked to Margolis about specific scrap metal
accounts other than Superior Quality; and
- whether RONALD VAUGHN ever talked with Loren Margolis about any
of the following specific accounts: ETS; Solon Industrial; or Bison
Welding.
37. At the aforesaid time and place, while under oath, RONALD VAUGHN
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- Okay. Now, during this discussion you had with Loren Margolis did
you take any notes?
- No.
- Do you know if he took any?
- I don't believe so. I don't know.
- And how soon after this meeting did you begin to buy scrap?
- Off the top of my head, I don't remember.
- Did you talk about any particular accounts at this meeting?
- No.
- None at all?
- No, sir.
- And by accounts I mean suppliers of scrap metal.
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, Page 106, Lines 3-17].
* * *
- No specific names were discussed at all?
- No, sir.
- At some later meeting or discussion with Margolis did you have
occasion to talk to him about specific scrap metal accounts?
- No, sir.
- And again, I'm talking about accounts that either DeMilta Iron
or the M. Weingold Company or Rock Company bought scrap from?
- No, sir.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 107, Lines 4-13].
* * *
- Other than that Holiday Inn meeting, that initial one – we'll
talk about later ones afterwards, but the initial one, there were
no other accounts talked about other than Superior Quality?
- No, sir.
- Now, how about a company – a business called ETS?
- ETS is a customer of ours today, yes.
- And the acronym ETS, that's nifty for what?
- I have no idea.
- Did you ever talk about ETS, that account with Loren Margolis?
- No.
- Solon Industrial, are you familiar with that account?
- No, I'm not.
- Did you ever talk about that account with Loren Margolis?
- No.
- Bison Welding, are you familiar with that account?
- Yes, I am.
- How are you familiar with it?
- I think we handled it at one time.
- What happened?
- We lost it.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 108, Lines 2-25].
* * *
- Okay. And Bison Welding, did you ever talk about that account with
Loren Margolis?
- No, sir.
- Now, I mentioned four accounts, Superior Quality[,] ETS, Solon
Industrial and Bison Welding. Other than the Holiday Inn meeting where
the subject of Superior Quality was raised, did you ever talk about
Superior Quality, ETS, Solon Industrial or Bison Welding with Jack
Weingold, Loren Margolis[,] Mark Weingold or Howard Bahm?
- No.
- Never happened?
- Never.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 110, Lines 1-13].
*************************
38. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that: (1) RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware that,
pursuant to the collusive agreement between DeMilta Iron & Metal
and co-conspirators, RONALD VAUGHN talked with Loren Margolis about
specific scrap metal accounts; and (2) RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware
that he talked to Loren Margolis about ETS, Solon Industrial, and Bison
Welding.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
39. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count V of
this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within the five
years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION
1623.
COUNT VI
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
40. Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17 of this Indictment are repeated, realleged,
and incorporated in Count VI with the same force and effect as if fully
set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
41. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about the use of color-coded
terminology related to the collusive agreement
between DEMILTA IRON & METAL and co-conspirators)
42. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information of,
or participated in, any meeting resulting in an agreement or understanding
with any competitor (i.e., another scrap metal dealer) to allocate
scrap metal suppliers (also called accounts or customers), in violation
of 15 U.S.C. § 1, or other related federal criminal offenses, including:
- whether RONALD VAUGHN ever used, or heard, color-coded terminology
in referring to the collusive agreement between DeMilta Iron &
Metal and co-conspirators; and
- whether RONALD VAUGHN and Loren Margolis ever used color-coded
terminology, or whether RONALD VAUGHN ever heard Loren Margolis use
color-coded terminology, as shorthand for the collusive agreement
between DeMilta Iron & Metal and co-conspirators.
43. At the aforesaid time and place, while under oath, RONALD VAUGHN
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- Did you ever hear the terminology or use the terminology that blue
is blue?
- No.
- Black is blue?
- No.
- Brown is blue?
- No.
- Green is green?
- No.
- Or perhaps the terminology was blue equals blue, black equals blue,
brown equals blue, green equals green?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 110, Lines 14-25 and P. 111, Line 1].
* * *
- See, if this makes any more sense. Did Loren Margolis in any conversation
with you – in any conversation with you ever use this terminology:
Blue equals blue, green equals green, black equals blue and brown
equals blue?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 111, Lines 18-23].
* * *
- . . . Did you ever hear that or use that terminology or hear him
[Loren Margolis] use that?
- No, sir.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 112, Lines 6-8].
* * *
- And I showed you a document earlier today that reflected the equation
green equals green, blue equals blue, black equal[s] blue, brown equals
blue. Do you recall that document?
- Yes.
- In fact, you saw it even before today, had a chance to contemplate
it even before today; is that right?
- That's correct.
* * *
- Did you ever talk to Loren Margolis when he used similar terminology,
black equals blue, brown equals blue, blue equals blue, green equals
green?
- No.
- Did you ever talk to anyone at M. Weingold Company where that terminology
was used, black equals blue, blue equals blue, green equals green,
brown equals blue?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 274, Lines 1-8; 15-23].
*************************
44. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware that he used
or heard color-coded terminology in discussions with co-conspirators
related to the collusive agreement between DeMilta Iron & Metal
and co-conspirators.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
45. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count VI
of this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within the five
years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION
1623.
COUNT VII
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
46. Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17 of this Indictment are repeated, realleged,
and incorporated in Count VII with the same force and effect as if fully
set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
47. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about a meeting at the
Holiday Inn with Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold
– after Jack Weingold bought Atlas Lederer –
where RONALD VAUGHN insisted that M. Weingold sell more busheling to
DeMilta Iron & Metal in furtherance of the collusive agreement)
48. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information of,
or participated in, any meeting resulting in an agreement or understanding
with any competitor (i.e., another scrap metal dealer) to allocate
scrap metal suppliers (also called accounts or customers), in violation
of 15 U.S.C. § 1, or other related federal criminal offenses, including:
- whether RONALD VAUGHN met with Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold
at the Holiday Inn;
- whether RONALD VAUGHN ever met with Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold,
at the Holiday Inn or elsewhere, to discuss increasing the monthly
busheling sales from 150 tons to a higher tonnage level as part of
the collusive agreement between DeMilta Iron & Metal and co-conspirators
not to solicit each other's scrap metal suppliers; and
- whether RONALD VAUGHN, along with Francis DeMilta, ever met with
Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold at the Holiday Inn.
49. At the aforesaid time and place, while under oath, RONALD VAUGHN
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- Do you recall meeting with Mark Weingold and Loren Margolis at the
Holiday Inn on Wilson Mills Road?
- No.
- Do you recall meeting with Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold at
some other place?
- Again, the only time was at our yard to view material that was
not consistent with what we were buying.
- Did you ever meet with Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold and talk
about the tonnage arrangement on bush[e]ling needing to be increased
from 150 tons to a higher level?
- No. I mean, I constantly would ask, you know, you got more
tonnage, you got more tonnage? It wasn't like a set meeting to
say we need to go from here to here, no.
- Do you recall Atlas Lederer Company?
- I know who the Atlas Lederer Company is.
- And they were bought by Jack Weingold, weren't they?
- Yes, they were.
- And it was bought by Jack Weingold in April – approximately
April of 1999. Do you remember that?
- I remember it was purchased, I don't remember the date.
- Do you remember it being purchased by Jack Weingold?
- Yes, I do.
- Afterwards, after it was purchased by Mr. Weingold do you recall
meeting with Mark Weingold and/or Loren Margolis and discussing with
them the need or the interest in having Weingold sell DeMilta Company
increased tonnages of bush[e]ling?
- No.
- Do you recall insisting that the 150 ton arrangement initially
struck was no longer acceptable and that that volume tonnage needed
to be increased to a higher level?
- No.
- Do you remember telling Mark Weingold and/or Loren Margolis at
any meeting at any time that you wanted 500 tons of bush[e]ling to
be sold?
- No.
- Do you remember ever meeting with Mark Weingold?
- Again, in the yard to view material that was not exactly what we
were supposed to be getting.
* * *
- Do you recall any discussion with Loren Margolis or Mark Weingold
after Jack Weingold purchased Atlas Lederer about purchasing scrap
or increasing the purchase of scrap from the Weingold Company?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 147, Lines 23-25; P. 148, Lines 1-25; P. 149,
Lines 1-25; and P. 150, Line 1-4.]
* * *
- Now, we've talked a lot about a meeting at the Holiday Inn. I'm
going to ask you about a meeting at the Holiday Inn b[ut] a different
meeting.
Did you ever meet with Mark Weingold, not Jack Weingold but Mark
Weingold, Loren Margolis, Frank DeMilta and yourself at that same
Holiday Inn off of Wilson Mills?
- No.
- Never at all?
- Never at all.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 161, Lines 18-25; P. 162, Lines 1-2].
*************************
50. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware: (1) that
RONALD VAUGHN had met with Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold at the Holiday
Inn; and (2) that, at this meeting, which took place after Jack Weingold
bought another local scrap metal company called Atlas Lederer, RONALD
VAUGHN specifically requested that M. Weingold needed to increase its
monthly busheling sales to DeMilta Iron & Metal or DeMilta Iron
& Metal would begin to compete aggressively against M. Weingold
and its affiliated companies.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
51. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count VII
of this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within the five
years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION
1623.
COUNT VIII
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
52. Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17 of this Indictment are repeated, realleged,
and incorporated in Count VIII with the same force and effect as if
fully set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
53. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about complaints by Ronald Vaughn
to Loren Margolis, Mark Weingold, and Howard Bahm
about the quid pro quo pay-off of monthly busheling sales
(150 tons)
not being satisfactory after Jack Weingold bought Atlas Lederer)
54. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information of,
or participated in, any meeting resulting in an agreement or understanding
with any competitor (i.e., another scrap metal dealer) to allocate
scrap metal suppliers (also called accounts or customers), in violation
of 15 U.S.C. § 1, or other related federal criminal offenses, including:
- whether, after Jack Weingold bought another scrap metal dealer
in the Cleveland area called Atlas Lederer, RONALD VAUGHN complained
to Loren Margolis or Mark Weingold about the monthly sale of 150 tons
of busheling to DeMilta Iron & Metal by M. Weingold no longer
being satisfactory;
- whether M. Weingold's agreement to increase its monthly busheling
sales to DeMilta Iron & Metal from 150 tons to 350 tons was related
in any way to Jack Weingold's purchase of Atlas Lederer; and
- whether RONALD VAUGHN was privy to the reason why M. Weingold officials
agreed to increase the monthly busheling sales to DeMilta Iron &
Metal from 150 tons to 350 tons.
55. At the aforesaid time and place, while under oath, RONALD VAUGHN
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- Did you complain after Jack Weingold purchased the Atlas Lederer
Company to either Loren Margolis or Mark Weingold that the 150 ton
bush[e]ling arrangement was not satisfactory, that now Jack Weingold
had t[oo] many boxes and had too much business and that volume needed
to be increased?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 150, Lines 6-12].
* * *
- Did you ever, in talking to Howard Bahm, complain to him that the
150 tons of bush[e]ling that you or your company were buying from
the M. Weingold Company was no longer satisfactory since Jack Weingold
had purchased the Atlas Lederer Company?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 273, Lines 20-25].
* * *
- Was the agreement to raise the amount of tons that Weingold sold
– bush[e]ling that Weingold sold each month to DeMilta related
in any way to the sale of Atlas Lederer to the Weingold Company?
- If it was, it was never – it was never privy to us.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 167, Lines 9-14.]
*************************
56. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware that, after
Jack Weingold purchased Atlas Lederer: (1) RONALD VAUGHN met with Loren
Margolis and Mark Weingold at the Holiday Inn and complained to them
that the 150 ton busheling arrangement was not satisfactory and needed
to be increased because Jack Weingold now controlled more scrap metal
tons; (2) RONALD VAUGHN complained to Howard Bahm, an official of Rock
Company, about the monthly busheling sales of 150 tons not being satisfactory
after Jack Weingold bought Atlas Lederer; and (3) RONALD VAUGHN was,
in fact, privy to the reason why the monthly busheling sales from M.
Weingold to DeMilta Iron & Metal increased from 150 tons to 350
tons after Jack Weingold bought Atlas Lederer, in that RONALD VAUGHN,
in meetings and discussions with M. Weingold officials, insisted that
the monthly busheling sales by M. Weingold to DeMilta Iron & Metal
needed to be increased or DeMilta Iron & Metal would end the collusive
agreement struck at the Holiday Inn in August 1997 and begin to compete
aggressively against M. Weingold and its affiliated companies.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
57. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count VIII
of this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within the five
years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES
CODE, SECTION 1623.
COUNT IX
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
58. Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17 of this Indictment are repeated, realleged,
and incorporated in Count IX with the same force and effect as if fully
set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
59. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about RONALD VAUGHN's discussions with
M. Weingold and Rock officials about Best Atlas and Best Atlas' accounts)
60. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information of,
or participated in, any agreement or understanding with any other scrap
metal dealer, including Weingold Company and Rock Company, to allocate
accounts or customers, in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1, or other
related federal criminal offenses, including:
- whether RONALD VAUGHN ever talked to Jack Weingold, Loren Margolis,
Mark Weingold, or Howard Bahm about Jack Weingold's acquisition of
Best Atlas; and
- whether RONALD VAUGHN ever talked about any Best Atlas accounts.
61. At the aforesaid time and place, while under oath, RONALD VAUGHN
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- Best Atlas, Jack Weingold purchased that in or about October 1997.
Does that jive with your recollection?
- Again, I don't know the dates but I know he purchased it.
- He did purchase it. And did you have occasion either before or
after the purchase of Best Atlas by Jack Weingold to talk to Jack
Weingold or Loren Margolis or Mark Weingold or Howard Bahm about that
acquisition?
- No, sir.
- You never talked to any of those four individuals ever about Best
Atlas?
- No.
- Ever?
- No.
- Or about the accounts being serviced by Best Atlas?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 204, Lines 20-25; P. 205, Lines 1-12].
*************************
62. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware: (1) that
RONALD VAUGHN did talk to Jack Weingold, Loren Margolis, Mark Weingold,
and/or Howard Bahm about Jack Weingold's acquisition of Best Atlas;
and (2) RONALD VAUGHN did talk to some of these M. Weingold or Rock
officials about Best Atlas' accounts.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
63. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count IX
of this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within the five
years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION
1623.
COUNT X
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
64. Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17 of this Indictment are repeated, realleged,
and incorporated in Count X with the same force and effect as if fully
set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
65. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about instruction or direction that
RONALD VAUGHN gave to DeMilta Iron & Metal employees)
66. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information of,
or participated in, any agreement or understanding with any other scrap
metal dealer, including M. Weingold and Rock, to allocate scrap metal
suppliers (also called accounts or customers), in violation of 15 U.S.C.
§ 1, or other related federal criminal offenses, including:
- whether RONALD VAUGHN gave any direction or instruction to Jarrod
Mink, a DeMilta Iron & Metal employee, related to the Commercial
Honing account; and
- whether RONALD VAUGHN ever gave any direction or instruction to
any trader, salesman, or buyer at DeMilta Iron & Metal to lay
off of M. Weingold or Rock Company business.
67. At the aforesaid time and place, while under oath, RONALD VAUGHN
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- Did you ever give any direction or instruction to Jarrod Mink related
to the
Commercial Honing account?
- No.
- Did you ever give any instruction or direction to any DeMilta Iron
trader or salesman or buyer – all three of those terms are synonymous,
correct?
- Yes.
- Did you ever give any direction or instruction to any trader or
buyer or salesperson at DeMilta Iron & Metal to lay off of M.
Weingold or Rock business?
- No, sir.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 229, Lines 9-20].
*************************
68. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware: (1) that
RONALD VAUGHN did give direction and instruction to Jarrod Mink related
to the Commercial Honing account; and (2) RONALD VAUGHN did direct and
instruct traders, buyers, or salesmen of DeMilta Iron & Metal to
lay off M. Weingold and Rock business.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
69. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count X of
this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within the five
years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION
1623.
COUNT XI
FALSE DECLARATIONS
(18 U.S.C. § 1623)
The Grand Jury further charges:
70. Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17 of this Indictment are repeated, realleged,
and incorporated in Count XI with the same force and effect as if fully
set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
71. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
(False material declarations about direction and instruction
to employees about generating false, phony, or inaccurate weight tickets
and about altering the unit weight of trucks used to buy scrap metal)
72. It was material to the Grand Jury's investigation to determine
whether RONALD VAUGHN had any awareness, knowledge, or information of,
or participated in, any scheme or artifice to defraud persons who sold
scrap metal to DeMilta Iron & Metal, including:
- whether RONALD VAUGHN ever directed anyone at DeMilta Iron &
Metal, including Phil Zelznick or Jarrod Mink, to generate false,
or phony, or inaccurate weight tickets; and
- whether RONALD VAUGHN ever altered the weight of a truck to help
establish a tare weight, which was then used to establish a unit weight
for DeMilta Iron & Metal to pay one of its scrap metal suppliers.
73. At the aforesaid time and place, while under oath, RONALD VAUGHN
knowingly declared falsely before the Grand Jury with respect to material
matters as follows:
(Page references are to the official Grand Jury transcript of RONALD
VAUGHN dated June 7, 2005. Declarations charged as false are underscored.)
*************************
- Did you ever direct Jarrod Mink to generate false or phony or inaccurate
weight tickets?
- Absolutely not.
- Or Phil Zelznick?
- Absolutely not.
- Or anyone else at your company?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 252, Lines 9-15.]
* * *
- Did you ever alter the weight of a truck to help establish a tare
weight or a unit weight to be used to pay Lincoln Electric –
or excuse me, Parker Hannifin for scrap that you purchased from them?
- No.
[Vaughn Transcript, P. 254, Lines 15-20.]
*************************
74. The aforesaid declarations of RONALD VAUGHN, as he then and there
knew, were false in that RONALD VAUGHN was, in fact, aware that: (1)
RONALD VAUGHN did instruct Mink, Zelznick, and others at DeMilta Iron
& Metal to generate false, phony, or inaccurate weight tickets;
and (2) RONALD VAUGHN did alter the weight of a truck to establish a
phony tare weight, which was then used as a basis to pay Parker Hannifin
for its scrap metal.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
75. The aforesaid false material declarations charged in Count XI
of this Indictment were made by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN before the
Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Ohio within the five
years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES
CODE, SECTION 1623.
COUNT XII
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
(18 U.S.C. § 1503)
The Grand Jury further charges:
76. Each and every allegation in Paragraphs 14-75 of this Indictment
is repeated, realleged, and incorporated in Count XII with the same
force and effect as if fully set forth in this Count.
THE DEFENDANT
77. RONALD VAUGHN is hereby indicted and made a Defendant in the charge
stated below.
BACKGROUND
78. From in or about March 1999 to the present, a federal grand jury
sitting in the Northern District of Ohio has been investigating, among
other things, possible federal antitrust offenses, and related criminal
offenses, in the purchase and sale of industrial scrap metal. This investigation
has included the Defendants – DeMilta Iron & Metal, Francis
DeMilta, and RONALD VAUGHN – as well as others in the scrap metal
industry.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFENSE
79. On June 7, 2005, RONALD VAUGHN was subpoenaed to testify before
the Grand Jury (Grand Jury 04-5-A). On this occasion, the foreperson
of the Grand Jury administered the oath to RONALD VAUGHN and RONALD
VAUGHN swore to tell the truth in the testimony he was about to give.
80. During his June 7, 2005, appearance before the grand jury, RONALD
VAUGHN did knowingly and intentionally corruptly endeavor to influence,
obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice, and did, in
fact, influence, obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice,
namely proceedings before the Grand Jury, by knowingly and intentionally
providing false, misleading, deceiving, and evasive testimony to the
Grand Jury as to his knowledge and awareness of, and participation in,
an agreement or understanding involving RONALD VAUGHN, DeMilta Iron
& Metal, and Francis DeMilta with co-conspirators to allocate scrap
metal suppliers, as well as concealing from the Grand Jury the true
reason for, and nature of, the monthly busheling sales to DeMilta Iron
& Metal from M. Weingold at a price below market value. RONALD VAUGHN
misled the grand jury into believing that these monthly busheling sales
were legitimate, when in fact they were related to the collusive agreement
in that they were intended to, and did, compensate DeMilta Iron &
Metal in return for DeMilta Iron & Metal's not soliciting the scrap
metal suppliers of M. Weingold and its affiliated companies. Moreover,
RONALD VAUGHN provided false, misleading, deceiving, and evasive testimony
concerning his knowledge and awareness of, or participation in, numerous
acts in furtherance of this illegal collusive agreement, for which conduct
any participants could possibly be prosecuted for violations of Title
15, Section 1, of the United States Code.
81. Further, in his June 7, 2005, appearance before the Grand Jury,
RONALD VAUGHN did knowingly and corruptly endeavor to influence, obstruct,
and impede the due administration of justice, and did, in fact, influence,
obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice, namely proceedings
before the Grand Jury, by knowingly providing false, misleading, deceiving,
and evasive testimony to the Grand Jury as to RONALD VAUGHN's knowledge
or awareness of, and participation in, DeMilta Iron & Metal's short
weighting some of its scrap metal suppliers. In the scrap metal industry,
"short weighting" occurs when an account or customer is paid less for
its scrap metal because the scrap metal dealer, here DeMilta Iron &
Metal, intentionally alters the weight of the scrap metal being purchased,
thereby resulting in less money being paid to the scrap metal supplier.
It was material to the Grand Jury to determine if DeMilta Iron &
Metal short weighted any of its suppliers, accounts, or customers, conduct
that could possibly be prosecuted as violations of 18 U.S.C. §
1341 (mail fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. §
2314 (interstate transportation of goods fraudulently taken), or 18
U.S.C. § 371 (a conspiracy to commit a crime or crimes against
the United States).
82. It was part of the corrupt endeavor that, during his testimony
before the Grand Jury, RONALD VAUGHN made the following materially false
and intentionally misleading, deceiving, and evasive statements and
representations, in substance, under oath:
- RONALD VAUGHN was not aware of an agreement or understanding
between DeMilta Iron & Metal and its co-conspirators, M. Weingold,
Rock and their officials, not to solicit each other's scrap metal
suppliers;
- RONALD VAUGHN was not aware that, at the conclusion
of a meeting at the Holiday Inn, there was an agreement or understanding
between Jack Weingold and his companies and DeMilta Iron & Metal
that DeMilta Iron & Metal would not solicit M. Weingold and Rock
accounts in return for M. Weingold and Rock Company not soliciting
DeMilta Iron & Metal accounts, and, further, RONALD VAUGHN was
not aware that a proposal was even made at the Holiday Inn
that these competitors quit competing;
- RONALD VAUGHN was not aware of any discussion at the
Holiday Inn where the idea of ending competition between Jack Weingold
and his companies and DeMilta Iron & Metal was even proposed;
- RONALD VAUGHN was not aware of any discussion at the
Holiday Inn about a set volume of busheling being sold to DeMilta
Iron & Metal;
- RONALD VAUGHN was not aware that, at this Holiday
Inn meeting, Jack Weingold suggested it was crazy for his companies
and DeMilta Iron & Metal to continue competing against each other
because all competition did was cost them money;
- RONALD VAUGHN and the participants at the Holiday Inn meeting
talked about continuing to compete against each other and
continuing to go after each other's business;
- RONALD VAUGHN, at the Holiday Inn meeting, talked about only
three things: (1) the participants' intention not to physically
touch, handle, or move each other's on-site boxes; (2) RONALD VAUGHN's
and Francis DeMilta's intention to continue to compete against
Jack Weingold and his companies; and (3) RONALD VAUGHN's and Francis
DeMilta's intention to do some business with Jack Weingold, though
no definite plans were discussed or even proposed about DeMilta Iron
& Metal's buying busheling from Weingold Company;
- RONALD VAUGHN,
either at the Holiday Inn meeting or at some later time, never
talked to Loren Margolis about specific scrap metal accounts, including
ETS, Solon Industrial, Bison Welding, or Superior Quality;
- RONALD VAUGHN never heard or used the terminology
in talking to Loren Margolis, or anyone at M. Weingold or Rock, that
"blue equals blue," "black equals blue," "brown equals blue," and
"green equals green," which was a short-hand way the co-conspirators
used to refer to their agreement to allocate scrap metal suppliers;
- RONALD VAUGHN did not meet with Loren Margolis and
Mark Weingold at the Holiday Inn on Wilson Mills Road, or any other
place other than at DeMilta Iron & Metal's yard, nor did RONALD
VAUGHN ever meet with Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold and
talk about the tonnage arrangement on busheling needing to be increased
from 150 tons to a higher level after Jack Weingold bought Atlas Lederer;
- RONALD VAUGHN did not complain to either Loren Margolis
or Mark Weingold that the 150-ton per month busheling arrangement
– i.e., the quid pro quo pay-off in return
for the agreement between DeMilta Iron & Metal and their co-conspirators
not to solicit each other's scrap metal suppliers – was no longer
satisfactory, since Jack Weingold, after buying Atlas Lederer, now
controlled an even larger share of the market;
- RONALD VAUGHN never complained to Howard Bahm, a Rock
official, that the 150-ton per month busheling arrangement was no
longer satisfactory after Jack Weingold bought Atlas Lederer;
- No agreement was struck at the Holiday Inn, or at
some later time, that DeMilta Iron & Metal would lay off M. Weingold
and Rock accounts in return for M. Weingold and Rock laying off DeMilta
Iron & Metal accounts;
- There was never an agreement or understanding reached
at any time, either at the Holiday Inn meeting or some later time,
between DeMilta Iron & Metal and M. Weingold, including any of
its affiliated companies, not to compete with each other, or to compete
less vigorously than the companies would have competed but for their
collusive agreement; or that DeMilta Iron & Metal would not solicit
M. Weingold or Weingold-affiliated scrap metal suppliers in return
for M. Weingold not soliciting DeMilta Iron & Metal scrap metal
suppliers;
- At the Holiday Inn meeting in which RONALD VAUGHN participated
along with Francis DeMilta, Jack Weingold, and Loren Margolis, there
was no discussion or mention of the possibility that M. Weingold
would sell 150 tons of busheling to DeMilta Iron & Metal, nor
was there any discussion about the possibility that busheling
would be sold to DeMilta Iron & Metal by M. Weingold Company at
$25 under the prevailing Iron Age price;
- RONALD VAUGHN never met with Mark Weingold, Loren
Margolis, and Francis DeMilta at the Holiday Inn off of Wilson Mills
Road;
- RONALD VAUGHN never talked to Jack Weingold, Loren
Margolis, Mark Weingold, or Howard Bahm about Jack Weingold's purchase
of Best Atlas or about Best Atlas accounts;
- RONALD VAUGHN never gave any direction or instruction
to Jarrod Mink, a former DeMilta Iron & Metal employee, related
to an account called Commercial Honing;
- RONALD VAUGHN never
gave any instruction or direction to any trader or salesman or buyer
of DeMilta Iron & Metal to lay off M. Weingold or Rock business;
- RONALD VAUGHN was not privy to whether the increase
in monthly busheling sales to DeMilta Iron & Metal by M. Weingold
was related in any way to Jack Weingold's acquisition of Atlas Lederer;
- RONALD VAUGHN never directed Jarrod Mink, or Phil
Zelznick, or any other employee of DeMilta Iron & Metal, to generate
false or phony or inaccurate weight tickets; and
- RONALD VAUGHN never altered the weight of a truck
to help establish a false tare weight, that was then used to pay one
of DeMilta Iron & Metal's scrap metal suppliers.
83. It was further part of the corrupt endeavor that, at the time
RONALD VAUGHN testified and made each of the above-described materially
false and intentionally, misleading, and deceiving statements and representations
to the Grand Jury, RONALD VAUGHN was then and there aware and knew that
they were false and misleading and deceiving, in that:
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware of an agreement or understanding between DeMilta Iron &
Metal and its co-conspirators, M. Weingold, Rock, and their officials
that they would allocate and not solicit each other's scrap metal suppliers,
and that M. Weingold would make monthly busheling sales to DeMilta Iron
& Metal at a price $25 below the prevailing Iron Age price;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware that, at the conclusion of a meeting at the Holiday Inn, there
was an agreement or understanding between DeMilta Iron & Metal and
co-conspirators that they would not solicit each other's scrap metal
suppliers, and, further, RONALD VAUGHN was aware that not only had such
a proposal been made at the Holiday Inn meeting, it was acted upon;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware of a discussion at the Holiday Inn where the idea of ending
competition between Jack Weingold and his companies and DeMilta Iron
& Metal was proposed;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware of a discussion at the Holiday Inn about a set volume of busheling
being sold to DeMilta Iron & Metal;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware that, at this Holiday Inn meeting, Jack Weingold suggested
it was crazy for his companies and DeMilta Iron & Metal to continue
competing against each other because all that was doing was costing
them money;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware that, at the Holiday Inn meeting in August 1997, with RONALD
VAUGHN, Francis DeMilta, Jack Weingold, and Loren Margolis all present,
there was no talk or discussion among these co-conspirators
about M. Weingold and DeMilta Iron & Metal continuing to compete
against each other or continuing to go after each other's business,
rather the discussion at this meeting involved ending competition between
the companies;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware that, at the Holiday Inn meeting in August 1997, with RONALD
VAUGHN, Francis DeMilta, Jack Weingold, and Loren Margolis all present,
these co-conspirators talked about more than just the three things described
by RONALD VAUGHN in his Grand Jury testimony, in fact they talked about
and then agreed to allocate and not solicit each other's scrap metal
suppliers and they talked about and then agreed that M. Weingold would
sell busheling to DeMilta Iron & Metal monthly at a price $25 under
Iron Age.
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
either at the Holiday Inn meeting or at some later time, did talk to
Loren Margolis about specific scrap metal accounts, including ETS, Solon
Industrial, Bison Welding, and Superior Quality;
- RONALD VAUGHN,
through his direct participation as a co-conspirator, did hear or use
certain terminology in talking to Loren Margolis, and at least one other
M. Weingold official, namely, that "blue equals blue," "black equals
blue," "brown equals blue," "green equals green," which was a short-hand
way of referring to the supplier allocation agreement between DeMilta
Iron & Metal and M. Weingold and Rock;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
did meet with Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold at the Holiday
Inn on Wilson Mills Road, not just at DeMilta Iron & Metal's yard,
and RONALD VAUGHN did meet with Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold and
talked about the monthly sales of busheling from M. Weingold to DeMilta
Iron & Metal needing to be increased from 150 tons to a higher tonnage
level;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
did complain to Loren Margolis and Mark Weingold that the 150-ton per
month busheling arrangement was no longer satisfactory after Jack Weingold
bought Atlas Lederer;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
did complain to Howard Bahm, a Rock official, that the 150-ton per month
busheling arrangement was no longer satisfactory after Jack Weingold
bought Atlas Lederer;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware that an agreement was struck at the Holiday Inn in August
1997 and that, pursuant to this collusive agreement, DeMilta Iron &
Metal would lay off M. Weingold and Rock scrap metal suppliers, and,
in return, M. Weingold and Rock would lay off DeMilta Iron & Metal
scrap metal suppliers, and, further, that M. Weingold would, in return
for DeMilta Iron & Metal's not soliciting the scrap suppliers of
M. Weingold and its affiliated companies, sell busheling to DeMilta
Iron & Metal on a monthly basis at a price $25 under the prevailing
Iron Age price;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware that an agreement or understanding was reached at the Holiday
Inn between DeMilta Iron & Metal and M. Weingold and its affiliated
companies not to compete against each other;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was aware that, at the Holiday Inn meeting, the co-conspirators talked
about the possibility that M. Weingold Company would sell a set volume
of busheling to DeMilta Iron & Metal, and, further, that it would
be sold at a price $25under the Iron Age price;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
did meet with Mark Weingold, Loren Margolis, and Francis DeMilta at
the Holiday Inn;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
did talk to Jack Weingold, Loren Margolis, Mark Weingold, and/or Howard
Bahm about Jack Weingold's purchase of Best Atlas and Best Atlas accounts;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
did give direction or instruction to Jarrod Mink, a former employee
of DeMilta Iron & Metal, related to an account called Commercial
Honing;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
did give instruction or direction to traders or salesmen or buyers of
DeMilta Iron & Metal to lay off M. Weingold or Rock business;
- RONALD VAUGHN, through his direct participation as a co-conspirator,
was, in fact, privy to whether the increase in monthly busheling sales
to DeMilta Iron & Metal by M. Weingold Company was related to Jack
Weingold's acquisition of Atlas Lederer; in fact, as RONALD VAUGHN well
knew, these increased busheling sales were directly related to meetings
and discussions that RONALD VAUGHN had with Loren Margolis and Mark
Weingold, during which RONALD VAUGHN complained that the busheling quid
pro quo pay off was unfair after Jack Weingold bought Atlas Lederer,
and that it needed to be increased or DeMilta Iron & Metal would
end the collusive agreement and begin competing with M. Weingold and
its affiliated companies;
- RONALD VAUGHN did direct Jarrod Mink and Phil Zelznick, both former
employees of DeMilta Iron & Metal, to generate false or phony or
inaccurate weight tickets; and
- RONALD VAUGHN did alter the weight of a truck to help establish
a false tare weight, which was then used to establish an inaccurate
unit weight used to pay a DeMilta Iron & Metal scrap metal supplier.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
84. This corrupt endeavor to influence, obstruct, and impede the due
administration of justice, which did, in fact, impede the due administration
of justice, was carried out by the Defendant RONALD VAUGHN in the Northern
District of Ohio within five years preceding the return of this Indictment.
ALL IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES
CODE, SECTION 1503.
A TRUE BILL.
Original document – Signatures on file with the Clerk of Courts,
pursuant to the E-Government Act of 2002.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ALLIANCE NATIONAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP,
d/b/a DEMILTA IRON & METAL, LTD; FRANCIS DEMILTA; and RONALD VAUGHN
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A TRUE BILL.
_______________________________
FOREPERSON
Dated:
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_______________/s/________________
THOMAS O. BARNETT
Assistant Attorney General
_______________/s/________________
SCOTT D. HAMMOND
Deputy Assistant Attorney General
_______________/s/________________
MARC SIEGEL
Director of Criminal Enforcement
Antitrust Division
U.S. Department of Justice
_______________/s/________________
WILLIAM J. EDWARDS
Acting United States Attorney
Northern District of Ohio
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_______________/s/________________
SCOTT M. WATSON
Chief, Cleveland Field Office
_______________/s/________________
RICHARD T. HAMILTON, JR.
[0042399 –OH]
IAN D. HOFFMAN
[14831 –IA]
Trial Attorneys, Antitrust Division
U.S. Department of Justice
Carl B. Stokes U.S. Court House
801 W. Superior Ave., 14th Floor
Cleveland, OH 44113-1857
Tel: (216) 687-8433
Fax: (216) 687-8423
E-mail:richard.hamilton@usdoj.gov
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