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Press Release

Businessman Sentenced To 18 Months In Prison For Mail Fraud

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH – An Indiana resident has been sentenced in federal court to 18 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years supervised release, on his conviction of mail fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Mark M. Palombaro, 55, of Carmel, Indiana.

According to information presented to the court, Palombaro was the Senior Vice President of Development at Simon Property Group, Inc., which had a principal place of business in Indianapolis, Indiana. Simon Property Group, Inc., entered into two contracts with R.E. Crawford Construction, Inc., located in Springdale, Pa., one in September of 2006 for the construction and redevelopment work on the Northgate Mall in Seattle, Washington, and one in November of 2007 for the construction and redevelopment work on the Laguna Hills Mall in Laguna Hills, Calif. Robert E. Crawford paid approximately $766,000 to Palombaro, who in turn used his authority and influence at Simon Property Group to select Crawford's company to be the general contractor for those jobs.

Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Internal Revenue Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Palombaro.

Updated July 14, 2015