D.A. Bragg Announces Guilty Plea of Executive And Company in Wide-Ranging Construction Fraud
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the guilty pleas of LAWRENCE WECKER, 83, and his company JM3 CONSTRUCTION LLC, for engaging in multiple criminal schemes to increase revenues to the detriment of its workers and fair market competition within the construction industry. WECKER pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to Enterprise Corruption and Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree for fraudulently using minority and women-owned business enterprises as pass-through entities to wrongfully obtain contracts for affordable housing developments, diverting and stealing money related to a New York County construction project, bribing a construction executive in order to obtain a contract, and other forms of corruption. His company, JM3 CONSTRUCTION LLC, pleaded guilty to Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree.
Subcontractor JACG Construction LLC and its owner JOSEPH GUINTA, 48, also pleaded guilty today to one count each of Insurance Fraud in the Third Degree for their role in WECKER’s enterprise. WECKER is expected to be sentenced to a promised 2-to-6 years in state prison on April 30, 2024, while GUINTA will be sentenced on March 12, 2024, to a promised sentence of 6 months in jail and 3 years of probation and will be required to make restitution of $150,000 to the New York State Insurance Fund (“NYSIF”). The charges against an additional six individuals and four companies charged in the New York State Supreme Court indictments remain open and pending.