American DBE Magazine Summer 2020 Edition
August 17, 2020Caltrans Division of Local Assistance (DLA) DBE Procedure Updates
September 15, 2020On August 19, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin sentenced Mark F. Spindler to 3 months’ incarceration, 36 months’ supervised release, 100 hours of community service in disadvantaged/minority areas, a $7,500 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
On January 24, 2020, Spindler—owner of the accounting firm Komisar & Spindler in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin—was convicted by a jury in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He was charged with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud for his role in a complex Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) fraud scheme. At trial, witnesses for the Government testified that Spindler’s correspondence allowed a co-conspirator to perpetuate the DBE scheme, even after various government entities questioned the eligibility of the co-conspirator’s businesses. The co-conspirator and others consulted with Spindler to direct bookkeeping, accounting, and payroll procedures which facilitated and concealed the scheme.
DOT-OIG conducted this investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Veteran Affairs OIG, Small Business Administration OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Department of Defense OIG, and Army Criminal Investigation Division.
