A federal judge yesterday sentenced the owner of a Newtown-based landscaping company to 21 months in prison and assessed a $25,000 fine for his role in a scheme creating a fake minority-owned firm to win state and local government contracts.
Doug Evans started Evans Landscaping while he was in high school and grew it into one of the region’s largest landscaping firms, employing about 300 people. He was convicted in December 2018 for his role in starting a shell company, Ergon Site Construction LLC, ostensibly owned by Korey Jordan, who is black.
According to federal attorneys, Evans used Ergon to win demolition contracts that benefitted his company. Jordan had no relevant experience applicable to the contracts Ergon bid on and the shell company used Evans Landscaping equipment to perform those jobs.
Jordan, along with three other Evans employees, pleaded guilty to the scheme.
The result, federal attorneys say, is that Evans, through Ergon, was able to win $2 million in public contracts with the City of Cincinnati between 2011 and 2014. Through its association with Ergon, Evans Landscaping was also able to score $11 million with the state that should have gone to legitimate minority-owned firms.
Community members, former local politicians and some law enforcement officials testified to Evans’ character in a 90-minute video screened during the sentencing hearing yesterday, asking U.S. District Court Judge Michael Barrett to refrain from sending him to prison.
Evans could have faced a maximum of 100 years in prison for the charges.
“I know in my heart, I didn’t intend to hurt anyone,” Evans said, according to The Cincinnati Business Courier. “I’m sorry for the embarrassment this has caused my kids. All I ever wanted to do was give people a chance and live the American dream as I have.”
Barrett also ordered Evans Landscaping to pay $250,000 in fines, contribute an equal amount to minority job creation initiatives and forfeit two trucks used in the scheme.
Federal attorneys initially asked the judge to sentence Evans to more than five years in prison and to fine his company $750,000 and bar it from public contracts for three years. Barrett declined that last request.
“The prison time is the key to show that there’s a message there,” U.S. Attorney David DeVillers told media after the hearing. “Yes, we would have liked more. The message is sent. He’s going to prison.”
Evans remains free on bond during a 90-day period in which his attorney will seek an appeal.
This article appears in Jan 8-21, 2020.
