Case Details

Year Initiated/Committed

2012

Year Resolved

2012

Settlement Amount

$10,000 penalties, $5,000 costs

Court

Plymouth County Superior Court, Massachusetts

Docket Number

12-521B

Lead State

MA

Participating States

MA

Defendant(s)

Timothy McMullen; Edward Burgess

Case Description

State settled bid-rigging allegations with former county commissioner and pest-control company owner. According to the complaint, Plymouth County put its pest control contract for seven county buildings out for quotes and received three quotes of which Capeway Pest was not the lowest. The complaint alleges that in the days before the vote on the contract by the Board of Commissioners, Burgess spoke on multiple occasions with then Commissioner McMullen. During at least one of their phone conversations McMullen allegedly provided non-public inside information by informing Burgess that Capeway Pest did not submit the lowest quote. Using this inside information, Capeway Pest submitted a new quote that exactly matched the previous low quote. The attempt to subvert the procurement process was uncovered prior to the vote on the pest control contract, and the original low quote was accepted. McMullen and Burgess agreed to pay $5000 each in civil penalties and $2500 each in costs.