The project, the Lead Service Line Replacement Program, was supposed to replace all of the city’s lead water pipes after dangerously elevated lead levels were found in city water. The company, JAS Group Enterprise, is alleged to have sent photos of copper pipes saying it had replaced them.
But those pipes were allegedly already in place before the project. The company sent the photos between 2020 and 2022, during the project. U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger alleged that a company foreperson, Latronia Sanders, “instructed the crew not to replace the lead” even when told there was lead in the water line.
Sanders and company CEO Michael Sawyer were indicted on Thursday for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“As our complaint alleges, Michael Sawyer and Latronia Sanders worked for a company hired by the city of Newark to replace lead pipes, but instead, they intentionally left lead…
