A man who bilked the city of Warsaw out of hundreds of thousands of dollars will likely not serve time behind bars.
Marc Campbell, 56, Mishawaka, was sentenced on four felony counts of providing false information to obtain a governmental contract this morning in Kosciusko Circuit court.
The charges result from an investigation into a scheme involving Warsaw’s former street department head.
Judge Michael Reed sentenced Campbell to 1-1/2 years in prison on each count. Reed suspended the prison time, allowing Campbell to serve one year on home detention and 5 years on probation.
Campbell entered a plea agreement with prosecutors on Jan. 27. As part of the agreement, Campbell was ordered to pay $70,000 before today’s sentencing.
Kosciusko County prosecutor Dan Hampton said Campbell handed him a check before the hearing.
Reed ordered Campbell to pay restitution, as part of his probation. The amount owed will be determined by a pending civil case, brought by the Indiana State Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the city.
The charges result from a scam involving Lacy Francis, a former street superintendent for the city of Warsaw.
Campbell was the president and owner of Pipe Pro Form LLC, a company that was contracted multiple times by the city to do stormwater drain repair.
Police allege Francis would “tip” Campbell off to the bids for the contract to ensure Pipe Pro Form could get the bid. As Pipe Pro Form would be awarded the contracts, it would “add 100 feet” to each project and Campbell would pocket the extra money.
Police say Campbell transferred $100,000 of the ill–gotten funds to Francis.
Police were alerted to the scheme when an anonymous tipster called the city office and reported Pipe Pro Form was overbilling for its work.
“I just want to say how sorry I am that this happened,” Campbell said.
Francis is facing six felony charges in connection with the case. Also charged in connection with the case is former Pipe Pro Form secretary Krista Mishler.
As part of Campbell’s plea agreement, he must “testify truthfully against any and all co-defendants.”
Also charged in connection to the case is Francis’ wife, Mildred Francis. She is facing six felony counts of money laundering. Police say she deposited money through an online shell company in order to “clean the cash.”
If Campbell is not connected to a home detention monitoring system by March 17, he will face a year in Kosciusko County Jail.
The sentencing brings the case closer to a resolution. The investigation began in 2013.
Kosciusko Prosecutor Dan Hampton, said the case took awhile to reach a conclusion due to all the continuances filed by the defendant.
Hampton said with Campbell’s pleas he expects the “other cases to move much quicker,” however declined to say how the cases would be resolved.
