FORMER EXECUTIVE OF FERGUSON ENTERPRISES, INC
ENTERS GUILTY PLEA
AS PART OF FEDERAL PROSECUTION
The former Project Executive and former Director of Demolition and Environmental Remediation at Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. entered a plea of guilty as part of the ongoing federal investigation into fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice involving the Garden View Estates public housing project in Detroit, Michigan, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.
U.S. Attorney McQuade was joined in the announcement by Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Breck Nowlin, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General, Housing and Urban Development (HUD-OIG) and Randall K. Ashe, Special Agent in Charge, Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Enforcement (EPA-CE).
Shakib Deria, age 42, of Troy, Michigan entered the guilty plea in United States District Court before Judge David M. Lawson. Under the plea agreement, Deria faces up to 24 months in prison and a fine of up to $40,000.00.
The felony conviction arose from Deria’s involvement in a series of illegal cash withdrawals made from the a bank account of the company A & F Environmental/ Johnson Construction Services, Inc. According to court documents, Deria helped Bobby W. Ferguson obtain $171,000.00 in cash through eighteen separate withdrawals of $9,500.00 each made from that account. The two structured the withdrawals into amounts under $10,000.00 in an effort to avoid having those transactions reported to federal authorities.
U.S. Attorney McQuade stated, “This guilty plea is the latest development in the ongoing prosecution of fraud and related crimes involving public contracts in Detroit. We will keep marching forward until all who cheat our citizens are brought to justice.”
A sentencing hearing was set by Judge Lawson for September 1, 2011 at 2:30 pm..
