A construction company is accused of scamming the New Jersey city out of $10M.
Newark, New Jersey’s Lead Line Replacement Program, once seen as a national model for infrastructure reform, hit a setback when it was revealed that construction company JAG Group Enterprises took $10 million from the city but failed to replace some of the lead pipes it was contracted to remove. This discovery blemished the program’s reputation, raising concerns about oversight and accountability in what was considered a groundbreaking effort to address lead contamination in Newark’s water system.
According to NBC New York, two central figures in the company’s scheme are CEO Michael Sawyer and Foreperson Latronia Sanders. Sawyer is accused of submitting photos of copper pipes to the city, claiming to the city that his company had used those pipes to replace lead pipes.
Sanders, meanwhile, is accused of falsely informing inspectors that there was no need to remove lead pipes through text messages and allegedly told crews to polish existing copper pipes so they would look like new pipes.