DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has arrested a man after he allegedly submitted a fake performance and payment bond to land a construction job.
Antonio Pino, 44, of North Charleston, is charged with two counts of forgery, value $10,000 or more.
The affidavit alleged that Pino, who was the owner of AJP Solutions, a residential building contractor on Ashley Phosphate Road, forged a performance and payment bond to a person to obtain a contract for drywall and painting work valued at $3,164,160 in December 2022. A year later, the company’s contract was terminated for failing to meet the project schedule requirements and for not providing sufficient labor for the work.
A claim was later filed against Arch Insurance, the surety on bonds provided by Pino, seeking reimbursement for current and expected financial losses associated with AJP Solutions’ failure to meet its contractual obligations. As a result, the insurance company was unable to identify any bonds issued to the contractor…