An electrical contractor has allegedly been overbilling New York City public schools for years. Brooklyn-based Acme American Repairs, Inc. was contracted by the Department of Education to do repairs in the schools' kitchens. But the company and an affiliated refrigeration company outrageously overbilled the DOE — even for phantom work that was never done, according to a report from the New York Post.
The contractor charged $300 for $2 outlets and $572 for $18 circuit breakers, among other charges for unnecessary tests that were never done.
Owner Dervil “Eduardo’’ Lazzari, 54, of Bayside, Queens, was arrested last month and released on $500,000 bail after appearing in Manhattan Federal Court. He was charged with defrauding the DOE between 2006 and February 2013 through two DOE contracts that paid Acme more than $23 million — or more than double the anticipated costs of the original contracts, the New York Post reported. Acme has also made tens of millions of dollars through other city contracts with DOE, the Department of Correction, Administration for Children Services and other city agencies.