Partial Verdict In Bus Company Fraud Trial: News Report

A jury has convicted former bus company owner Richard Brega of three counts out of five brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office, The Journal News reports. The jury continues to deliberate two others.

The case stems from a scheme prosecutors allege was hatched between Brega and former Rockland Board of Cooperative Education Services official William Popkave.

Both were charged in 2017 conspiracy, fraud, theft, bribery, and obstruction of justice. Popkave pleaded guilty and was given probation.

SEE: Rockland Bus Company Owner Indicted in BOCES Fraud Scheme

Brega owned several transportation companies and also operated the county's bus system. He has stepped down from those companies since the indictment.

Responsible for managing all BOCES transportation services, Popkave was entrusted with supervising the transportation of students with complex disabilities, Career and Technical Education students and district-based learners, in addition to overseeing fleet maintenance and bus driver testing and training programs. He officially retired in June 2016.

This particular scheme, officials alleged, involved Brega D.O.T. Maintenance Corp. They say Brega submitted phony invoices for maintaining and repairing BOCES buses — work his company didn't perform — and Popkave approved them. In return, they allege, Brega's company did car repairs for free for Popkave and his friends and family.

It wasn't apparently a very lucrative scheme. Prosecutors said Brega wrote phony invoices for more than $86,000 and they're saying the value of the free vehicle services that Brega DOT provided to Popkave totaled about $47,000.

Former Nanuet resident Popkave, who retired to Florida and is too sick to leave, testified by video in Brega's two-week trial, The Journal News reported. The paper said Brega's attorney Kerry Lawrence, said Popkave and another witness devised the scheme themselves and lied to federal officials to stay out of prison.

Read the entire article on lohud.com.

MORE READING:

• Legislators Award Bus Contract To Brega
• Legislators Criticize County Exec Over Bus Contracts
• Gromack Part of Federal Ethics Investigation
• Rockland Bus Company Owner Indicted in BOCES Fraud Scheme