William Richardson III, Wire Fraud, Ohio 2023

Canton Business Owner Charged with Wire Fraud

A Canton man and the construction company he owns were charged with one count of wire fraud for making false representations about the company’s office location in order to obtain a HUBZone certification and qualify for tens of millions of dollars’ worth of federal contracts.

William Richardson III, also known as Buster Richardson, and TAB Construction Company, Inc., of which Richardson is the sole owner and shareholder, were charged in a federal indictment unsealed in the Northern District of Ohio.

The Historically Underutilized Business Zone Act of 1997, also known as the HUBZone Program, was established to provide federal contracting assistance for qualified small business concerns located in historically underutilized business zones in an effort to increase employment opportunities, investment, and economic development in those areas.

Between 2005 and 2012, Richardson and TAB received more than $34 million in contracts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Park Service after SBA certified that TAB was HUBZone Program eligible based on Richardson’s false representations.

According to the indictment, Richardson and TAB submitted a HUBZone application in August 2000 in which Richardson falsely stated that TAB’s principal office was located at 1010 Walnut Avenue NE in Canton, a location that was within a designated HUBZone area. However, TAB’s principal office was actually located in another area of Canton that was not within a HUBZone area, specifically 4534 Vliet Street SW.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko following an investigation by the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Homeland Security- Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division. If convicted, Richardson and TAB face a statutory maximum sentence.

Related Federal Cases