ALBANY —A Gloversville husband and wife have been indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury after the state Inspector General’s Office said they defrauded the worker’s compensation program during the bidding process for a project in Amsterdam.
New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott announced Wednesday the indictment and arraignment of Alan Jon Squires, 47, and Bonnie Jean Squires, 46, of Williams Street.
Alan Jon Squires was indicted on three counts of second-degree criminal possession of forged instrument and three counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, all felonies.
Bonnie Jean Squires was indicted on the charge of second-degree forgery, a felony.
Leahy Scott said in a press release that the Squires attempted to defraud the worker’s compensation system in their bid on a construction project sponsored by the City of Amsterdam Industrial Development Agency (AIDA) in their bid to rehabilitate mixed-use commercial and residential buildings in the City of Amsterdam.
According to the press release, the investigation found that in 2013, the husband and wife team, doing business as AB Construction, submitted a successful $341,400 bid to the AIDA to rehabilitate mixed-use commercial and residential buildings at 44 and 46 East Main Street. The bid was about a third of the amount of the next highest bid submitted, and it listed several subcontractors the Squires planned to use for the project.
When the Squires applied for building permits for the work, they filed paperwork with the city of Amsterdam’s Engineering Department and the AIDA attesting they were exempt from having workers’ compensation insurance coverage for the project.
Under state law, employers are required to maintain workers’ compensation coverage for their employees and companies that use subcontractors must attest to the coverage for any project they oversee. The Squires allegedly altered workers’ compensation exemption forms to make it appear as if AB Construction was exempt from workers’ compensation coverage.
“These business owners used fraud to gain an unfair advantage over honest competitors,” Leahy Scott stated in the news release. “I will vigorously pursue anyone who defrauds the workers’ compensation system and I am gratified for the partnership of Montgomery County District Attorney James E. Conboy, and county grand jurors, in our efforts to help ensure a fair and just public works bidding process.”
The Squires are out of jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond for Alan Squires, and $1,500 cash bail or $3,000 bond for Bonnie Squires.
The Amsterdam and Gloversville Police departments provided assistance with the arrests, and Montgomery County District Attorney James “Jed” Conboy and his office prosecuted this matter.
