Crime & Safety

Area Construction Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Bid-Rigging Scheme


An area resident and owner of a heavy construction and paving company pleaded guilty to a bid-rigging scheme.

George Chrysanthopoulos, 50, of Little Silver, the former owner of Tarheel Enterprises Inc., pleaded guilty mid-trial to the third count of an indictment charging him with a scheme to defraud a private terminal operator at Port Elizabeth of the honest services of one of its employees through bribes to rig a bid. 

Chrysanthopoulos entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton federal court on Thursday. The remaining six counts of the indictment are to be dismissed at sentencing. 

Between February 2011 and April 2011, Chrysanthopoulos schemed to bribe Donald Olesky, the former director of facilities Maintenance at Maher Terminals LLC, in exchange for the Olesky’s assistance in rigging Maher Terminals’ bid process for a construction project in favor of Tarheel.

Olesky was cooperating with law enforcement and recorded a series of meetings with Chrysanthopoulos, during which he schemed to rig that bid.

As part of the scheme, Chrysanthopoulos gave to Olesky a list of contractors to invite to bid on the project and also agreed to pay Olesky a $50,000 bribe in exchange for his assistance in rigging the bid process in favor of Tarheel. 

Chrysanthopoulos, who was released on bond, faces a maximum prison term of 20 years and a maximum fine of $250,000. His sentencing is set for March 26, 2014 before Judge Pisano.

Olesky previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to two counts of the use of mail and facilities in interstate commerce to promote commercial bribery. Olesky’s sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. 


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