HOUSTON – A 64-year-old Houston resident is set to appear in court on charges he participated in a fraud scheme for 12 years, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Abraham Joseph is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m. today.
A one-count criminal information, filed June 27, alleges Joseph was the owner of a company called One Point Inc. and participated in a fraud scheme from 2007 until 2019 against a company with a manufacturing facility in Houston.
Joseph allegedly engaged in a bribery and bid rigging scheme to obtain construction and maintenance work at the victim company. According to the charges, Joseph submitted fake bids through the facilities manager who made it appear that OnePoint was the low bidder. In return, Joseph allegedly paid millions of dollars and gave other items of value. Joseph also had work funneled to him and his company and paid kickbacks in return, according to the charges.
The information alleges that when submitting invoices for payment to the victim company, Joseph failed to disclose he was submitting falsified bids, paying kickbacks from victim company funds and even had their employee on OnePoint’s payroll at one point.
The victim company would not have paid OnePoint invoices had it known about the falsified bids or the kickback payments, according to the charges.
If convicted, Joseph faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
A criminal information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.