Business owner pleads guilty to lying to feds
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The owner of a Bridgeport construction business has entered a guilty plea to lying to federal inspectors who had been investigating potential safety problems at a job site.
Luis F. Estrada, 47, of Bridgeport, faces up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 at his sentencing, which has not been scheduled yet. He remains free on a $75,000 bond.
In a proceeding before U.S. District Court Judge Victor A. Bolden Wednesday, Estrada admitted to making false statements and submitting false documents to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration while it was investigating his job site. A federal grand jury indicted Estrada early last year.
Estrada is the owner and principal of L.L.E. Construction LLC, of 358 Connecticut Ave., Bridgeport. The company was formed in 2008, according to the Secretary of the State’s office.
In early 2018, Estrada and his company were paid $11,000 to do roof repairs and other work at a property on Main Street in Bridgeport, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
On March 1, 2018, an OSHA compliance officer visited the site and allegedly observed “various safety infractions” as workers repaired the roof, prosecutors said.
Estrada was not there at the time, and spoke to the officer on the telephone. OSHA later served a subpoena on Estrada seeking information related to his company’s work on the “LLE Roofing Project.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Estrada provided a hand-delivered, written response on July 30, 2018. In it, Estrada allegedly falsely claimed he didn’t do any work at the site and had no payroll, contract or other documents related to any “LLE Roofing Project.”
In pleading guilty to making false statements to the U.S. Department of Labor, Estrada admitted he lied in his written statements on July 30, 2018, and in a subsequent deposition.
Estrada’s defense attorney, Frank Riccio of Bridgeport, said, "Mr. Estrada's decision to enter a plea was a difficult one, but he can now put this episode behind him."
Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.
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