RALEIGH – United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce announced that Santiago De La Torre, 45, of Cicero, Illinois, was sentenced to serve 35 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Make False Statements Concerning Highway Projects and Perjury. The defendant was also ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release and to make restitution.
In October 2011, a federal highway contractor found defects in elastomeric bridge bearings shipped for use in North Carolina’s bridges. These defective parts posed a risk of deterioration due to exposed steel plates. A total of 1,270 bearings were discovered nonconforming, affecting 25 projects between May 2009 and October 2011, with many from Delgado Elastomeric Bearings Corporation.
The investigation revealed that De La Torre and his brother Joel De La Torre forged the name of a teenager on applications and certifications. The teenager was falsely listed as vice president of Delgado without knowledge. Inspections found the Chicago facility lacked proper testing equipment. Santiago De La Torre committed perjury in grand jury proceedings and encouraged his brother to flee.
Replacement costs for the defective bearings are expected to exceed $5 million due to engineering and traffic control issues. Federal and state agencies confirm no immediate threat to safety, with monitoring and replacement planned over time. Joel De La Torre was previously sentenced on April 21, 2016.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Department of Transportation, Office of the Inspector General, and FBI. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the United States.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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