By Melanie Santostefano
A sealcoating contractor that was recently awarded a contract by District 214 has since withdrawn the bid after a flutter of scrutiny over its past practices and brushes with the law.
Since that and more information came to light, District 214 began looking further into Niles-based North Suburban Asphalt Maintenance's past, and announced Thursday there is no longer a contract with company for sealcoating.
"We finished our investigation, reviewed materials, and had several conversations with the contractor; he has decided to withdraw his bid," said Venetia Miles, director of community relations for District 214.
Late last week, the District 214 board approved the contract with Niles-based North Suburban Asphalt Maintenance for more than $90,000, the Daily Herald reports.
According to the paper, the company is facing charges relating to theft of government property and mail fraud, and is at the end of a two-year suspension that prevented it from getting Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) jobs.
Information obtained by Arlington Heights Patch showed that in 2011, the village of Hoffman Estates rescinded a contract with North Suburban Asphalt Maintenance due to their inability to perform agreed upon work.
In October 2012, Attorney General Lisa Madigan brought charges against the company's owner, Alan M. Harris of Niles, for a kickback scheme she claimed defrauded $400,000 from several municipalities, which included Buffalo Grove, Glenview, Mt. Prospect, Palatine and Volo.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
