A Minnesota asphalt contractor accused of falsifying asphalt quality test results has agreed to pay just under $1.3 million to settle with the U.S. government and the state of Minnesota.
Anderson Brothers Construction Company, based in Brainerd, allegedly violated the U.S. and Minnesota False Claims Acts for five years beginning in 2017 by routinely submitting fraudulent paving material test results. The U.S. Department of Justice said Anderson Brothers did this to make the material used appear higher quality when seeking payment for work done on federally funded roads.
The U.S. and Minnesota claim Anderson Brothers sought financial incentives for superior quality material and to avoid penalties for using lower quality materials. Both governments alleged that, had the tests been submitted accurately, Anderson Brothers would not have received any additional incentives and would have received financial deductions.
The DOJ noted that the settlement of the case additionally resolved claims brought by Kacie Dixon, a former Anderson Brothers bituminous-mix technician, under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act.
The United States will receive $660,761, and Minnesota will receive $634,849.
Anderson Brothers was founded in 1940 by brothers John and Arthur Anderson. The company lists the following services on its website: earthwork, underground utility, aggregate mining and processing, asphalt paving and concrete.
