Michael Fullard, Wire Fraud, Pennsylvania 2023

A Pittsburgh man has been sentenced to eight months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the US government of $772,701.10.

Michael Fullard, 54, of Apollo, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry to eight months in prison, to be followed by eight months of home detention and then 18 months of supervised release, on his conviction for wire fraud.

According to information presented to the court, Fullard was the President of Fullard Environmental Controls (FEC), a company that performed demolition services for the United States Department of the Navy in Beaufort, South Carolina, in 2007.

The government alleged that Fullard, along with Barry K. Peterson, a co-owner of FEC, submitted false information to the Department of the Navy regarding the costs incurred by FEC to perform the demolition services.

The scheme, which was uncovered by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, resulted in the government being defrauded of approximately $772,701.10.

As part of the sentence, Judge McVerry ordered Fullard to pay a forfeiture judgment to the United States Government in the amount of $772,701.10.

Fullard’s sentence also includes a requirement that he fulfill his obligations pursuant to a civil Settlement Agreement, which was secured by Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Skirtich.

Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, and U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton commended the Department of Defense and the investigative agencies for their work in bringing Fullard to justice.

Fullard was instrumental in aiding the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the United States Attorneys’ Office in the recovery of $462,000.00 in federal contract payments earmarked for his company, payments that otherwise would have been beyond the reach of the United States Government.

As a result of this recovery, the government did not seek, and Judge McVerry did not order, any restitution over and above the forfeiture amount of $772,701.10.

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