Cement contractor charged with obstructing justice in grand jury investigation
The president of a Riverview cement company was indicted today for obstructing justice and lying to a federal grand jury investigating payment of bribes to city of Detroit officials.
Alan Pighin, president of Century Cement Co., is named in a seven-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit.
A grand jury originally charged Pighin with making false statements in July. The obstruction of justice charge was added today.
Pighin has pleaded not guilty to the charges, his lawyer Stephen Danko of Taylor said. Lying to a grand jury carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Federal agents have been investigating a range of city contracts, including city leases and contracts at the city’s Cobo Center.
When Pighin testified before a grand jury in Detroit on Sept. 11, 2002, he lied when he denied having paid money to city construction inspectors or other government officials to affect the way in which he performed his contracts, the indictment alleges.
In fact, Pighin had paid about $1,000 to unnamed city inspectors, the indictment alleges.
Pighin also lied about installing, without charge, a new concrete driveway for an unnamed city of Detroit construction inspector, the indictment alleges.
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, has been investigating "contractors who allegedly paid bribes to city of Detroit construction inspectors in connection with road and sidewalk related work performed in the city," the indictment alleges.
Pighin has not been charged with bribery in connection with the investigation, nor have bribery indictments been unsealed against any other cement contractors or city building inspectors.
Published under Cement News
