BOSTON - An Information was filed today alleging that a Sterling, Mass. man conspired to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA), and other government contractors, by falsely representing that his business was a minority and service-disabled veteran-owned and operated business.
Tyrone Jones, 48, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and forfeiture of his assets in an amount not greater than $400,000. The Information alleges that Jones submitted statements to the SBA and other government agencies falsely representing that a minority and service-disabled veteran owned and managed the daily operations of the business in order to get federal government contract awards that were set aside for or preferentially awarded to disadvantaged minority and service-disabled veteran-owned and operated businesses.
Jones faces up to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the crime, whichever is greater.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Jeffrey G. Hughes, Special Agent in Charge
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Luis A. Hernandez, Special Agent in Charge, General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General New England Regional Investigations Office; Michael D. Conner, Special Agent in Charge, US Army Criminal Investigation Command, Boston Fraud Branch Office; Aaron Collins, Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Small Business Region Office of Inspector General and; Robert Panella, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Labor Racketeering & Fraud Investigations, Office of Inspector General U.S. Department of Labor made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon T. Kelley and Sara Miron Bloom of Ortiz’s Office.
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