Stanley Raass pleads guilty
Wendell sends us a link to the story of Stanley Raass who used his father, a 100% disabled veteran, to get government contracts for his Utah construction company called RWT. Raass claimed that his father ran day-to-day operations of the company;
To meet the requirements for these particular contracts, a service-disabled veteran must own 51 percent of the business and must manage the daily operations of the business, according to the charges.
The felony information filed against Raass, who never served in the miliary, says Raass controlled the managerial and daily business operations of RWT.
“Between Sept. 19, 2009, and Aug. 26, 2013, Raass, through RWT, obtained 11 contracts set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses totaling $16,517,912 in payments from the government,” according to a statement from U.S. Attorney for Utah John Huber’s office.
Stan pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. He’ll be sentenced in May and he’s expected to spend two years in prison and pay $640,000 for his $16 million fraud – it’s good work if you can get it.
The picture is from when he played linebacker for BYU more than twenty years ago.
Category: Crime
You used your father’s honorable service to defraud Uncle Sugar so that you can now become a two-year prison bitch. Was it worth it, Stanley?
Who says crime doesn’t pay – and apparently pay well. Not even one years’ worth in restitution…
I was going to make this point but I see a commenter on the linked article already did, so I’ll quote him:
“Not standing up for the guy at all. But $16 million in contracts covers everything in the contract–materials, wages, etc.. It is possible that his personal income from the contracts was the $640,000. It does not say he did NOT do the work, just that he was given preference in the bidding because of his lies about the business.”
Going to suck for you to be pimped out for Ramen noodle packs. Don’t forget to smuggle some prison KY back to your cell from the cafeteria.
Mr. Tiny, ain’t so tiny…you know what I mean?
I’d wager this type of paperwork fraud is very common in govt contracts. Easy to list your wife as the owner to get contracts for women owned businesses.
I had an employer that did that, it was completely legit. She owned 51% and was heavily involved in day to day operations. She wanted to retire, so she now owns 49%, Leaving her husband, the owner, 51%, changing it from a “woman-owned business” to a “veteran-owned business”. Just playing by the GOV rules.
When the system is rigged to favor a group instead of getting the best available, then of course folks (even good honest folks) are going to game the system to get a job.
I’ve seen it in all sorts of places. When you play by the rules, and the rules favor a certain set of circumstances, you try to get those to go your way.
I’m a fraud examiner, specializing in VA/DoD healthcare fraud, but if I get a chance to bust someone for contract fraud, that money spends just as good.
And yeah, business is booming.
Since I can now self-identify as a woman and black, I will now file as “Disabled-veteran, minority, woman owned business”
It worked for a former executive at the Reston VA office of All Points Logistics. He set up a company selling software to the federal government, placing his wife as the President of the “proud woman owned business”. I guess she jumped from that impending train wreck, so he “placed” another woman as President, then, after an exhaustive search, he was able to get Elaine Ricci to head the company. Unfortunately, it seems that foul play has taken Elaine Ricci away from us, so now the company website just says that it is a “proud woman owned business”.
Already a black and small disadvantaged business…
Had to 3 out of 3?
I think he’s from somewhere in the Pacific, not Black.
Apparently Utah has a pretty good sized Samoan population…and a subsequent gang issue to go with it.
The LDS has probably made more inroads with Pacific Islanders than with any other ethnic group. Even many the All Blacks (NZ Rugby Union side) are Mormons. Go figure.
Utah has the highest population of Pacific Islanders in the U.S. outside of Hawaii. This is due to very heavy missionary work in the Islands by Mormons in early 1900’s. FYI.
Hey, feel like someone’s sneaking up on you while you’re in prison? It could be Bubba & Thor a’ comin’-ta DORK YOUR SQUEAKHOLE, Sweet Dreams!!!
The most famous BYU (Bring ‘Em Young) grad to go to prison since Ken Patera.
Can we bury him under the jail?
Nice pious Mormon boy.
Money grubbing scum.
Wow. I have learned more about corruption and exploiting the system in this thread than in my entire life. Yeah. I was naive. Opening my eyes now.
Don’t mix bear and whiskers. It will dropp tou down.