WASHINGTON, D.C. (Legal Newsline) -- The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed a complaint against a Western New York contracting company alleging it was falsely claiming eligibility for federal contracts for service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses.
Veterans Enterprises Company (VECO) owned by Strock Contracting, the owners of Strock Contracting and an employee of VECO were all named in the complaint.
The DOJ alleged that VECO did not meet the qualifications to be awarded contracts as a service-disabled, veteran-owned business and because of false claims were improperly awarded contracts. The complaint also alleges that VECO was not a legitimate business, and the day-to-day business was carried out by Strock Contracting and the defendants.
“Congress established the service-disabled, veteran-owned contracting programs to provide economic opportunities for veterans with service-connected disabilities and to help them participate in federal contracting and compete in the American economy,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said. “The Justice Department is committed to making sure that only eligible companies participate in these types of federal contracting programs.”
The complaint alleges that between 2008 and 2013 VECO was awarded millions of dollars in federal contracts after claiming to be eligible as a service-disabled, veteran-owned business.