MORE ALLEGATIONS \ ODOT scandal

Here are some additional findings from the inspector general’s office on the investigation into alleged improper activities at the Ohio Department of Transportation district that covers the Cleveland area. The activities were handled by ODOT employees. The report says:

“We found that in exchange for cash, trips and other gratuities, [Dennis] Kratochvil, [Terrence] Kosmata and [Kevin] Horrigan steered ODOT business to select vendors. They did so by altering bid documents, obtaining fraudulent bids and sharing bid information with preferred vendors. Kratochvil also oversaw a sham process in which he repeatedly circumvented ODOT’s policy requiring purchasers to obtain competitive quotes for purchases above $1,000.”

“A major component of this fraudulent enterprise was T.D. Sportfishing Charters, a Lake Erie charter fishing service that Kosmata operated out of his home in Garfield Heights. Invoices and calendars obtained from Kosmata via subpoena and during searches of his home, office and boat showed that customers of T.D. Sportfishing were almost exclusively ODOT vendors over whom Kosmata or Kratochvil had contract authority.”

Source: Inspector general’s report