Additional Guilty Pleas In Caltrans Bid Rigging Scandal
Sacramento, CA — A Central valley contractor is the latest person to plead guilty in connection to a bid-rigging and bribery scheme in connection to Caltrans road improvement and repair contracts.
We reported in April that Choon Foo “Keith” Yong, a high-ranking manager who oversaw contracts for Caltrans, the state’s transportation agency, pleaded guilty after receiving 10-percent kickbacks, in cash and other goods (like furniture and wine), for $8-million worth of transportation contracts awarded between 2015-2019.
The US Department of Justice now reports that Bill Miller, the owner of BRM construction in the Central Valley community of Sanger, has pleaded guilty to his role. In addition to paying bribes to Yong, Miller recruited others to submit sham bids on projects. One of those co-conspirators was William Opp, a contractor, and business partner, who formed a separate company, and named his wife as the nominal president, to submit sham bids.
Opp also recently pleaded guilty. They both now face up to 10 years in prison.
US Attorney Phillip Talbert says, “California has many government projects that obligate taxpayer money, making it important to root out corruption and protect the integrity of the contracting process.”
