Robert J. Berryhill, $300k Mail and Wire Fraud, OH, 2023

Crime boss Robert J. Berryhill, 51, of Aurora, Ohio, was sentenced to serve six years behind bars for orchestrating a $300,000 fraudulent construction scheme.

Berryhill pleaded guilty to five counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, along with charges of aggravated identity theft and false personation as an FBI employee. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi, who also ordered Berryhill to pay $304,669 in restitution.

The defendant created a fictitious company to siphon funds from construction projects he managed, including the restoration of his own vintage sports car. His scheme involved false invoices and impersonating an FBI employee to pressure payments.

Berryhill’s previous role as senior vice president at Carnegie Management and Development Corp. (CMDC) in Westlake, Ohio, allowed him access to public contracts that were exploited for personal gain. The FBI office construction projects in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Indianapolis, Indiana, were among the victims of his deceit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Patton prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Berryhill’s fraudulent activities have been a wake-up call for vigilance in public contracting and financial oversight.

This sentence sends a clear message that white-collar crime is taken seriously and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.