The president of a company that laid track for the Sound Transit light-rail line to the airport lied about the quality of steel he used, according to federal prosecutors. David Appleby, President of Appleby NW, Inc, a steel fabricator and subcontractor with Sound Transit, was sentenced today to one year of probation, a $20,000 fine, and $30,523 in restitution after pleading guilty to making and using false documents, a felony, in March of 2009. The steel used by Appleby’s company was used in the footing of the four-mile elevated stretch of light rail track in Tukwila.
Appleby, 52, fabricated not only steel, but 36 reports to Sound Transit concerning the strength of steel casings for Sound Transit Light Rail tracks between May 2005 and November 2006, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice. Appleby NW’s contract with Sound Transit specified that steel casings provided by the company must use Grade 50 steel; Appleby ordered Grade 36 steel and subsequently altered reports before sending them to Sound Transit to make the steel seem to fit contract specifications, prosecutors say.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl Blackstone wrote in his sentencing memo that “the defendant wrongly assumed that if he told the truth, this would unnecessarily delay the light rail construction. The defendant believed that the resulting economic fallout from such a delay outweighed the need to be truthful.”
Sounds like grand larceny to me.
could this be why some of the elevated segment is so loud? i remember there being lots of noise complaints and sound transit not quite knowing why there were any given the specifications
Great. Light rail was the only good thing to happen locally in about a decade and now it’s screwed too.
“we’re on time, and on budget!”
“that’s right, we’ve met every milestone laid down in our Revised Revised Revised budget as per resolution no. 75 and footnotes nos. 398, 49 and 5000.
“We’ve even been audited!”
In China this guy would be axed at the neck.
Lying about strength specs huh? That’s a good way to get people killed and/or fuck up the project somewhere else later on. Speaking as an engineer, I say this guy is an idiot.
I see what you did there.
But, is it not a crime, too, to not call grade inflation when you see it? Am I right? And further, Appleby’s iron-clad assurances were, clearly, nothing of the sort? I’m on fire here. On fire. Thanks. Thanks.
[cannot process lying/fraud/criminal acts. cannot process lying/fraud/criminal acts]
@2: No, the kind of steel used for the foundations has nothing to do with the noise created by the train on top of the tracks.
Wealthy white male president of a company commits grand larceny, endangers the public and gets off with a slap on the wrist? I’m shocked, shocked.