Source: Office of United States Attorneys
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three men have been convicted of conspiring to commit federal program fraud. A former Ohio State University employee sold surplus university assets for artificially low prices in exchange for kickbacks. He and two of his customers have been charged federally and have pleaded guilty.
According to court documents, from 2009 until 2020, Michael Brammer, 59, of Pataskala, was employed by Ohio State University’s surplus department. As part of Brammer’s duties, he evaluated and classified used surplus university assets like computers.
Brammer falsely classified equipment as recyclable and sold them to two recycling vendors – Abraham Amira, 60, and Robert Howard, 73, both of Columbus – for artificially low prices. In return, Amira and Howard made cash payments directly to Brammer.
In total, Brammer received at least $650,000 in cash from Amira and Howard that would have been revenues to the surplus department.
Throughout the course of the conspiracy, The Ohio State University received more than $10,000 in federal benefits each year through grants.
Amira pleaded guilty today to crimes related to the surplus fraud and to separate COVID-19 related fraud schemes. Amira admitted to fraudulently receiving and spending more than $800,000 from various COVID-19 relief programs. He pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit federal program fraud and wire fraud.
Brammer and Howard both previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit federal program fraud.
Conspiracy to commit federal program fraud is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Wire fraud carries a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; The Ohio State University Police Division Chief Dennis Jeffrey; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphy; announced the guilty pleas. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in these cases, which were investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force.
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