MDOT Fraud: Leaders Receive Federal Prison Time for $15M Scheme

In a significant legal development, five former executives of Surveying Solutions Inc. (SSI) have been sentenced to federal prison for orchestrating a scheme that defrauded the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) out of millions.

 

On November 18, 2025, U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington sentenced Andrew Semenchuk, 53, of Rives Junction, and Jeffrey Bartlett, 53, of Standish, to 15 months in federal prison. Both had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Following their incarceration, they will each serve two years of supervised release.

 

Two days later, on November 20, 2025, Judge Ludington sentenced Adam Ball, 48, of Saginaw, and Brian Bartlett, 48, of Standish, to one year and one day in federal prison. Additionally, Anthony Thelen, 48, of Pewamo, received a six-month prison sentence. All three had also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and will serve supervised release following their prison terms.

 

The court ordered the defendants to collectively pay $4,571,800 in restitution to MDOT. Furthermore, they are required to forfeit assets totaling $4,073,200.

 

From February 2011 through July 2019, the defendants, who owned and operated SSI, engaged in fraudulent overbilling practices. They reported false employee costs, inflated equipment and property lease expenses, and concealed their true ownership of related entities to justify these overcharges. This scheme led MDOT to overpay SSI by millions, funds that were then distributed among the conspirators.

 

“For nearly a decade, the defendants compromised the integrity of transportation projects in Michigan and betrayed the taxpayers who funded them,” stated Anthony Licari, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region.

 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Reynolds, William Vailliencourt, and K. Craig Welkener prosecuted the case.

 

This sentencing underscores the commitment of federal authorities to hold accountable those who exploit government programs for personal gain, ensuring the integrity of public funds and the trust of taxpayers.