(The Center Square) – The Department of Justice accused the vice president of a soil erosion company and one of its employees of a price-fixing scheme involving $100 million in publicly funded contracts, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday.
B.G. Dale Biscoe, vice-president of Sioux Erosion Control and Randall David Shelton, an employee of the company, are charged with a violation of the Sherman Act, according to a DOJ news release. Sioux Erosion Control is also facing charges, authorities said.
The two allegedly conspired with their competitors to raise the prices for products and services that are used for highway construction and repair products, according to the news release.
The companies would allegedly submit high bids or refused to bid on projects and conspired to divide up contracts across the state, the DOJ said. The incidents occurred between September 2017 and April 2023.
Four other people have pleaded guilty for their role in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing, according to the DOJ.