NEW JERSEY
A federal grand jury indicted two water treatment chemicals executives for allegedly conspiring to eliminate the competition among suppliers of liquid aluminum sulfate to municipalities in the U.S, according to officials.
Liquid aluminum sulfate is a coagulant used by municipalities to treat drinking and waste water and by pulp and paper companies in their manufacturing processes, officials said.
Vincent J. Opalewski, former president, vice president and general manager of a water treatment chemicals manufacturer headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, and Brian C. Steppig, director of sales and marketing of a water treatment chemicals manufacturer headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana, are the second and third executives charged in connection with the conspiracy, officials said.
“Municipalities and pulp and paper companies deserve competitive prices for water treatment chemicals,” said Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “These charges reflect our ongoing efforts to hold accountable those who conspire to cheat their customers responsible for their crimes.”
The indictment, returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey last week, alleges that Opalewski, from 2005 to 2011, and Steppig, from 1998 until 2011, and their co-conspirators were involved in a scheme to stay away from each other’s customers, according to authorities.
The bid rigging conspiracy was also allegedly done through the following ways:
- Submitting intentionally losing bids to favor the intended winner of the business
- Withdrawing inadvertently winning bids
- Discussing with each other prices to be quoted to municipalities and pulp and paper companies.
The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty, officials said.