In another instance, a non-MWBE certified company, Macto Electric, was hired to complete $900,000 of electrical work. On paper, it contracted MWBE-certified BSV Metal Finishers to supply the necessary electrical goods. But according to the inspector general, these were actually supplied by a different company that did not have certification.<\/p>\n
By misrepresenting and enlisting minority- and women-owned subcontractors to act as pass-throughs in order to meet MWBE utilization rates, these contractors potentially undermined our state’s goal to provide an even playing field in industries where these populations are under-represented,”<\/strong> Aries Dela Cruz, spokesperson for the inspector general, told The Buffalo News.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nNo charges have yet been brought in the case.<\/p>\n
Tioga Downs owner Jeff Gural told The Buffalo News<\/em> that he had not been aware of the scheme and \u201cno one who still works for me had anything to do with [it].\u201d The manager who handled food distribution has since left the company, he added.<\/p>\n“Integrity is very important to me, so I\u2019m very disappointed,” Gural said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tioga Downs officials and contractors are accused of gaming the system during the harness racetrack\u2019s redevelopment into a racino back in 2016. Officials at the upstate casino improperly claimed almost $3 million in MWBE utilization credit by \u201chiring\u201d the Milray Food Company, a business without a functioning website, according to New York State Inspector General […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":202696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,18],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Tioga Downs Casino Project Was Rife with Minority Business Fraud<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n