"We're a hypergrowing company, we were exploding," Packal said. . PG&E asked Kooistra to turn over his company-issued phone, which he did, but he refused to provide his passcode so investigators could access text messages and other data. PG&E asked Kooistra to turn over his company-issued phone, which he did, but he refused to provide his passcode so investigators could access text messages and other data. PG&Es filing is in response to a breach of contract lawsuit filed against the utility in October by Bay Area Concrete. This article was produced in partnership with the Bay City News Foundation, which is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. In 16 years, the pair's. Here's how the scheme worked, according to PG&E's allegations in court filings. A mural painted by Shane Grammar is seen on a chimney that remains at a property burned by the Camp fire in Paradise, California on February 01, 2019. The pair were careful to keep Bay Area Concretes purchase orders low enough that Huggins would not have to seek approval from his supervisors. He received $10 to $15 per truckload. You have permission to edit this article. In it, Johnson accused Bay Area Concrete of fraud by overcharging PG&E and bribery by paying "large sums of money and gifts" to two PG&E employees who were no longer with the company. The site sits on a narrow street dotted with other office buildings and industrial facilities. The pair were careful to keep Bay Area Concrete's purchase orders low enough that Huggins would not have to seek approval from his supervisors. And soon PG&E would be doing more business with Bay Area Concrete than ever. New York, United States. Dr. Yadwinder Singh is a Internist in Circleville, OH. "The allegations are patently false and not supported by the evidence," she said. PG&E's court filing alleges that Regal Rose LLC, a shell company established by Singh, was also in possession of a property in Arizona when it was transferred to Kooistra. "The litigation process will make this clear in time.". PG&Es court filing alleges that Regal Rose LLC, a shell company established by Singh, was also in possession of a property in Arizona when it was transferred to Kooistra. In response to a long list of questions, PG&E provided a brief statement that did not directly address how warning signs like the company owners' long conflict with the city of Hayward and participation in an illegal dumping operation were overlooked. How a PG&E contractor with a sketchy past made millions after deadly Camp Fire. Very good beside manners. Hands on experience on Palo alto firewall, Fortinet firewall, Fortimanager, Fortianalyzer, Fortiswitch, FortiAP. "We will pursue every available action to remedy the situation and do right by those that we have the privilege to serve," Noonan said. A jury convicted Lucero, and he was sentenced to 30 months in prison. PG&E hired Bay Area Concrete to dispose of waste from hydrovac trucks special vacuum trucks that use pressurized water for precise excavation. SAN FRANCISCO - Utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric accused two of its former employees of accepting bribes to funnel business to a waste-hauling company after the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history. PG&E first started disposing of waste in the company's Hayward yard in 2016, and the business expanded to include the cleanup of PG&E yards throughout Northern California. According to PG&Es complaint, CCI did hauling work for Bay Area Concrete, which would submit invoices directly to PG&E. A powerful vacuum sucks up the slurry created in the process. Kooistra sold his home in California in February and returned to Arizona, where he founded a pool cleaning business in May. It is not clear whether or how PG&E vetted Bay Area Concrete before hiring the firm. In its suit, Bay Area Concrete alleged that it had saved PG&E millions of dollars by doing disposal work in Paradise more cheaply than a competitor. Four days later, he retired. In an interview, Simmons said that dust blowing into the ConXtech factory, where the company manufactures steel structures for health care facilities and office buildings, would interfere with their machinery. But Lucero wasn't interested. They have since only paid us a portion of that. By this time, Johal and Singh's companies had expanded rapidly. Bay Area Concrete is part of a sprawling network of hauling, recycling and construction companies owned by Bay Area couple Preet Johal and Yadwinder Kevin Singh. PG&E asked Kooistra to turn over his company-issued phone, which he did, but he refused to provide his passcode so investigators could access text messages and other data. In the summer of 2014, Economy Trucking used an illegal dump site in Newark, a nearby suburb, to get rid of thousands of tons of concrete and asphalt, court records show. PG&E paid CCI $150,000 over five weeks without knowing that the company was owned by Kooistra, a violation of PG&E employment and supplier policies. Another shell company, CCI Management, was owned by Kooistra and acted as a subcontractor for Bay Area Concrete in Paradise. He said some facilities had been incorrectly ordered shut down. The complaint alleges that Huggins and Kooistra approved the overbilled work in exchange for kickbacks. Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. This February, as the news organizations began investigating, PG&E publicly accused Bay Area Concrete of defrauding the utility and bribing PG&E employees. The water board declined to comment or confirm the existence of any ongoing investigations. Four days later, he retired. PG&E alleges that in exchange for these kickbacks, the employees provided lucrative clean-up jobs to Hayward-based Bay Area Concrete Recycling. ADVERTISING Advertise Legal Notices Obituaries Writing An Obituary Submit an Obituary, COMPANY INFO Job Opportunities Privacy PolicyTerms of Service, What to Include in Your Marin County Obituary. Dawn Sweatt, an attorney for Bay Area Concrete, said her clients vehemently deny the allegations by PG&E. That year, the couple used a holding company to buy a property at 24701 Clawiter Road. React . PG&E bankruptcy filings from March 2019 showed that the utility owed Bay Area Concrete nearly $4 million. Bay Area Concrete is part of a sprawling network of hauling, recycling and construction companies owned by Bay Area couple Preet Johal and Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh. A city water pollution expert warned the runoff could be contaminating San Francisco Bay. Under Kooistra's supervision, PG&E hired Bay Area Concrete to build a new slurry disposal center at a former Waste Management facility in Paradise. The litigation process will make this clear in time.. PG&E alleges that Huggins approved false invoices and concealed fraudulent charges throughout PG&E's contract with Bay Area Concrete. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Update: Highway 29, Howell Mountain Road may stay closed through weekend after Napa Valley snows, Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years, American Canyon delays warehouse amid Vallejo concerns, Homeless people to get permanent housing at former Napa motel, A plan for paid parking set to emerge in Napa three decades after meters were removed, Two arrested in Napa after crash of stolen SUV, police say, Police: Man arrested after Napa apartment break-in, Man dies in apparent Napa County drowning, Browns Valley Road homes approved by Napa City Council, Police: Man arrested after reported knife threat in Napa, American Canyon considers Chicken Guy restaurant amid drive-thru concerns, Premiere Napa Valley fundraiser brings in $3.4 million for the Napa Valley Vintners, American Canyon police arrest Napa man on assault allegation, Catnapped: Napa pet adoption van stolen with cats inside, State, federal officials take different paths trying to stop utilities from causing wildfires, Judge fines PG&E in Camp Fire manslaughter case, laments utility 'cannot be sent to prison', PG&E pleads guilty to 84 deaths in 2018 California wildfire, Millions at Risk of Slipping Into Poverty as COVID-Era SNAP Benefits Set to End, More than 300 words have been added to the English dictionary, Citizens travel to Peru's capitol Lima to protest against Boluarte, Senators react to the end of emergency SNAP benefits. City staff denied the application. Olivero wrote that PG&E owed the company more than $14 million. PG&E paid CCI $150,000 over five weeks without knowing that the company was owned by Kooistra, a violation of PG&E employment and supplier policies. Copyright Weeklys All rights reserved. That business grew substantially in November 2018, when a PG&E transmission line sparked a wildfire in Butte County that destroyed more than 18,000 structures and killed 85 people. Four days later, he retired. Bay Area Concrete is part of a sprawling network of hauling, recycling and construction companies owned by Bay Area couple Preet Johal and Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh. The couple did not respond to requests for comment via mail, phone, email and social media. Find Dr. Singh's phone number, address, insurance information, hospital affiliations and more. Bay Area Concrete opened a dump in Paradise to take the waste from the cleanup. In 16 years, the pairs business empire has grown from a single trucking firm to more than a dozen companies operating in 11 cities throughout the West Coast. February 26, 2021 / 9:44 AM The company says it is being more vigilant about trimming trees around its power lines and replacing outdated equipment before it crumbles. Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News Service. Another shell company, CCI Management, was owned by Kooistra and acted as a subcontractor for Bay Area Concrete in Paradise. Hayward levied nearly $60,000 in fines over that period. The firm was tied to illegal dumping on federally protected wetlands and had engaged in a long conflict with regulators in the city of Hayward, where Bay Area Concrete operates a dump. PG&E alleges that Kooistra and Huggins steered PG&E contracts to Bay Area Concrete and other companies controlled by Singh and Johal. According to PG&E's complaint, CCI did hauling work for Bay Area Concrete, which would submit invoices directly to PG&E. PG&E also hired another company owned by Singh and Johal, PMK Contractors, to help build its command center for the fire, according to Packal. Ownership of that new company was later transferred to a PG&E employee who oversaw Bay Area Concrete's work in Paradise. The new court filings show that PG&E had a longer business relationship with Bay Area Concrete than previously known. The investigation was co-published on Tuesday by ProPublica and the Bay City News Foundation. The new court filings show that PG&E had a longer business relationship with Bay Area Concrete than previously known. Four days later, he retired. PG&E hired Bay Area Concrete to dispose of waste from hydrovac trucks -- special vacuum trucks that use pressurized water for precise excavation. To pay the bribes, Singh used a series of real estate transactions involving a 5,600-square-foot home in Saratoga to transfer money to Kooistra, PG&E alleges. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. The dumpsite proved its worth in October 2019, when a 77,000-acre blaze known as the Kincade fire broke out north of Santa Rosa. Those who have met the pair describe them as smart and friendly. Rob Roth reports from Paradise. By 8 a.m., local authorities issued evacuation orders for Paradise's roughly 26,000 residents. In 16 years, the pair's business empire has grown from a single trucking firm to more than a dozen companies operating in 11 cities throughout the West Coast. PG&E's counterclaim, filed earlier this month, names Bay Area Concrete, both former PG&E employees, Singh, Johal, several of their other companies and Bay Area Concrete CEO Kevin Olivero as defendants. Huggins did not respond to written questions mailed to his home in Auburn. In its suit, Bay Area Concrete alleged that it had saved PG&E millions of dollars by doing disposal work in Paradise more cheaply than a competitor. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Singh and Johal's companies also have a history of not cooperating with inspectors. Packal said the arrangement resulted in substantial savings for PG&E in the labor and gas for trips to faraway disposal sites. On March 3, PG&E sent a second internal memo clarifying that it had also ended its business relationships with Johal and Singh's other companies, including Bay Area Hydrovac, Economy Trucking, PMK Contractors and Slurry Waste Solutions. As we have stated previously, PG&E will continue to hold ourselves and those that do work on our behalf to the highest ethical standards.. Attempts to reach the couple through their attorney, phone calls, social media and mail were unsuccessful. Copyright Weeklys All rights reserved. First published on February 26, 2021 / 9:44 AM. In 2019, they leased land on Treasure Island in the San . Utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric accused two of its former employees of accepting bribes to funnel business to a waste-hauling company after the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history. Still, over the next six weeks, Singh and Johal's Economy Trucking Services was one of the most prolific dumpers at the site, dumping up to 100 truckloads every day, each weighing between 10 tons and 12 tons, according to court transcripts. At the end of the day, this is really an illegal business thats asking to continue operating, Commissioner Gary Patton said at the meeting, and its been illegal since 2013.. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder Kevin Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. Bay Area Concrete is part of a sprawling network of hauling, recycling and construction companies owned by Bay Area couple Preet Johal and Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh. After the site was shut down, Singh and Johal hired Olivero to be the CEO of Bay Area Concrete. Dr. Singh is a very knowledgeable, explain things Very thoroughly. The firm was tied to illegal dumping on federally protected wetlands and had engaged in a long conflict with regulators in the city of Hayward, where Bay Area Concrete operates a dump. Bauters, who would become the company's top environmental officer, brought with him impeccable credentials. "As we have stated previously, PG&E will continue to hold ourselves and those that do work on our behalf to the highest ethical standards.". Here in socialcounts.org you can track Yadwinder Singh Yaadi YouTube Live Subscriber Count and analytic In a statement posted to the company's website, he accused PG&E of falsifying accusations to avoid paying bills. On Feb. 24, 2020, PG&E released the memo from CEO William Johnson to the media. The same month, San Jose code enforcement officials cited the company for operating a recycling transfer facility without permits. On March 15, 2016, Lucero was indicted for violations of the federal Clean Water Act. This Dec. 3, 2018, file photo, shows homes leveled by the Camp Fire line at the Ridgewood Mobile Home Park retirement community in Paradise, Calif. A PG&E contractor accused of bribery and fraud during the Camp Fire cleanup had a history of illicit dumping, conflict with regulators and employed a senior manager connected to environmental crimes, according to a new investigation by the Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica. According to the disposal company, it racked up $14 million in unpaid invoices. 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"This is in addition to avoiding the significant negative environmental impacts that trucking and processing these materials elsewhere in the state would have caused," he wrote. The allegations track closely with the results of an investigation last year by ProPublica and the Bay City News Foundation, which found that PG&E had overlooked numerous warning signs when it hired Bay Area Concrete. His duties included collecting money from contractors dumping dirt and demolition debris and using a bulldozer to spread the dumped material. As we have stated previously, PG&E will continue to hold ourselves and those that do work on our behalf to the highest ethical standards.. They show that while the 2018 fire still burned in Paradise, an attorney for Bay Area Concretes owners registered a limited liability company at the business address of another one of the owners companies. Police shut down the site in September 2014. He debuted with the India's national basketball team in 2005 and played at the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge in Tehran, Iran. In February 2020, PG&E canceled Bay Area Concrete's contracts and publicly announced its belief that the waste company had committed fraud. Dust from recycled concrete, she said, may have polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, carcinogens that were banned in 1978. Filing 1 COMPLAINT against Bay Area Concrete, LLC, Bay Area Hyrovac, LLC, PMK Contractors LLC, Preet Johal, Yadwinder Singh (Filing fee $ 402, receipt number 0971-16273295). In selecting Bay Area Concrete for the environmentally sensitive job, however, PG&E ignored the firm's history of illegal dumping and conflict with regulators, as well as its employment of a senior manager connected to environmental crimes, according to interviews and a review of court records, public documents and business filings by the Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica. As a result, the value of Bay Area Concretes contracts with PG&E increased exponentially over a period of four years, the lawsuit said. View the profiles of people named Yadwinder Singh. Liked by Yadwinder singh Happy Shree Krishna Janmashtami #sparkbrains #janmashtami2021 #webdevelopment #searchengineoptimisation #webdesigning Singh did not respond to requests for comment. PG&Es counterclaim, filed earlier this month, names Bay Area Concrete, both former PG&E employees, Singh, Johal, several of their other companies and Bay Area Concrete CEO Kevin Olivero as defendants. Bay Area Concrete stuck around and opened a new dump on PG&E property in Petaluma. One supervisor for PG&E allegedly had his driveway paved on the power companys dime. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- Utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric accused two of its former employees of accepting bribes to funnel business to a waste-hauling company after the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history. Meanwhile, competing companies lost work with PG&E. My Official Page - Yadwinder Singh #14 Power Forward for Indian Senior Men's Basketball Team;. "PG&E has initiated an internal review to determine why this wasn't detected earlier, and we will be enhancing our protocols to ensure this doesn't happen again," a PG&E spokesperson wrote. The Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica first reported the exchange, which one expert described as possible money laundering.
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