Avon Lake Man Charged With Making A False Statement To The FBI

A criminal information was filed charging an Avon Lake man with one count of making a false statement to law enforcement, law enforcement officials said.

Kenneth J. Grabowski, 67, was a retired employee of a company identified only as Business 13. He retired in 2003.

As part of the wide-ranging investigation into public corruption in Cuyahoga County, FBI agents tried to determine employees at Business 13 engaged in fraud and commercial bribery with targets of the investigation, including Michael Forlani, the owner of Doan Pyramid Electric, according to the information.

Agents interviewed Grabowski on Nov. 10, 2011, during which time he knowingly and willfully made a material false statement to FBI agents. Grabowski said he was not aware of Forlani or any other Doan Pyramid employee giving case to any Business 13 employee, including Grabowski himself, well knowing at the time that his statement was false, according to the information.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Antoinette T. Bacon, Ann C. Rowland and Nancy Kelley following an investigation by the Federal Bureau Investigation and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.