KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Parkville man who helped plot a fraud scheme to get federal contracts meant for veterans and minorities is headed to federal prison.
A federal judge sentenced Patrick Dingle, 51, to eight years in federal prison Thursday, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in KCMO.
Dingle also must forfeit $4,659,061 in the profits made in the scheme.
In addition, he must pay the IRS more than $600,000 in restitution and $82,704 to the Missouri Department of Revenue.
“This defendant pocketed millions of dollars in profits that should have gone to firms led by disabled veterans and minority owners,” U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore stated in the news release. “He not only stole contracts from those firms, he cheated on his taxes and thus stole from honest citizens by not paying his fair share."
Dingle and Matthew C. McPherson, 46, of Olathe, conspired to obtain the lucrative contracts, according to the news release.
Dingle worked as the operations manager for Zieson Construction Company in North Kansas City.
The conspirators used Stephon Ziegler, a Black service-disabled veteran, to help carry out the crimes as the nominal owner of the company, the news release states.
Ziegler signed checks, signed bids for government jobs and performed other duties when asked.
Most of the money earned by the firm went to the people who cooked up the scheme.
Ziegler was sentenced in May to 12 months in federal prison.
He pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
McPherson is serving two years and four months in federal prison without parole after guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and major program fraud.
He must forfeit more than $5 million in fraudulent earnings from the scheme.
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