In what unfolds to be a tale of systematic fraud and kickbacks, three individuals have recently been charged in Colorado with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a bribery scheme aimed at defrauding an electrical utility service contractor. Edward Joseph Chmiel, age 49, Henry Lozano, age 43, and Sabino Loera, age 51, find themselves at the center of federal charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The trio stands accused of engaging in a plot that saw the submission of fraudulent invoices to a contractor, which ultimately resulted in kickback proceeds amounting to nearly $1.5 million over two years. Lozano, who is the owner of a trucking and hauling company, allegedly provided services with the understanding that he would furnish kickback payments to Chmiel and Loera. This egregious circumvention of ethical business conduct was facilitated through the generation of false invoices to Chmiel and Loera's employer, unjust enrichment concealed behind the veil of legitimate enterprise. Two of the accused, Loera and Lozano, have already appeared in federal court on February 10, while Chmiel is slated for his day in court later this month.
Delving into the modus operandi of the accused, it is disclosed that, after the fraudulent invoicing had triggered payments, checks would then be issued to a network of 15 other individuals, who in turn cashed them and returned the bulk of the proceeds in cash to Chmiel and Loera. Throughout the period spanning August 2018 to June 2020, such activities led to the generation of approximately $1,495,781.51 for the defendants involved in kickbacks. Although these figures underscore the scheme's profitability, they also mark the ledger of deceit that ultimately led to the unraveling of their operation.
