Revere Man Accused In Tree Trimming Bid Rigging Scheme
BOSTON (CBS) -- A Revere business owner is accused of rigging bids in an effort to win a $45,000 city tree trimming contract.
Daniel Hibbert is due in court next week to face fraud and other charges.
Three companies, each with a different name, but all sharing Hibbard's business telephone number, were awarded a total of five tree trimming and removal contracts by the Revere Housing Authority between 2007 and 2009.
Hibbard allegedly posed as his own competition in the bidding process, intentionally submitting higher bids from two of the alleged dummy companies, using the names of businesses that had once operated within Massachusetts but were defunct at the time of the bids.
The third used the name of a company that Hibbard had won an earlier contract with. Prosecutors say as a result, Hibbard was able to control the price the Revere Housing Authority would pay for its arborist services.
He reportedly obtained $30,550 in payments over three years.
