$180K from Crawford County company returned to the state

TOPEKA – (August 22, 2024) –Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach today announced a consent judgment handed down in Crawford County resulting in $180,206 of restitution being returned to the Kansas Department of Transportation.< “Kansas taxpayers put their trust in the government to spend their tax dollars wisely,” said Assistant Attorney General Sarah Dietz. “When contractors fail to remit money owed to the state, taxpayers suffer the consequences. We work hard to ensure that taxpayers and their tax dollars are protected.” Heckert Construction Company, a local paving company in Crawford County, received overpayment from the state for services and then refused to return the money when the overcharges were discovered. Officials notified the company of the discrepancy for the first time in December 2020, and the company failed to respond. When the Crawford County contractor failed to remit the overpayment in a timely manner, the Kansas Attorney General's Office filed suit under the Kansas False Claims Act. District Judge Kurtis I. Loy entered an order for the full restitution amount.