WASHINGTON – In a shocking turn of events, GCC Alliance Concrete Inc., a ready-mix concrete company based in Orange City, Iowa, pleaded guilty to participating in three separate conspiracies to fix prices and/or rig bids for the sales of ready-mix concrete in the northern district of Iowa and elsewhere.
According to a three-count felony charge filed on May 18, 2011, in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, Iowa, GCC Alliance Concrete Inc. participated in separate conspiracies with three different companies involving agreements to fix prices and/or to rig bids for ready-mix concrete sold to various companies in the northern district of Iowa and elsewhere.
The conspiracies took place during various time periods starting as early as January 2006 to as late as August 2009. Under the terms of the plea agreement, GCC Alliance Concrete Inc. has agreed to pay a criminal fine, as determined by the court.
Ready-mix concrete is a product comprised of cement, aggregate (sand and gravel), water and other additives. The concrete generally is produced in a concrete plant and is transported by concrete-mixer trucks to work sites, where it is used in various types of construction projects, including buildings and roads.
According to court documents, GCC Alliance Concrete Inc. participated in conspiracies through its former sales manager, Steven VandeBrake, in which he engaged in discussions concerning project bids for sales of ready-mix concrete, submitted rigged bids at collusive and noncompetitive prices to customers in Iowa and elsewhere and accepted payment for sales of ready-mix concrete at predetermined prices.
VandeBrake also engaged in discussions and reached agreements regarding the prices on the conspirators’ annual price lists for ready-mix concrete sold in Iowa on behalf of GCC Alliance Concrete Inc.
Today’s charge arose from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation of the ready-mix concrete industry in Iowa and surrounding states. As a result of the investigation, VandeBrake pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracies and, on Feb. 8, 2011, was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison and to pay a criminal fine of $829,715.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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