Dean A. Yerry, a former UB maintenance supervisor admitted Tuesday morning that he was involved with bid rigging on UB’s North Campus to help a friend get a $1 million dorm painting contract.
Yerry was charged with rigging bids on $1 million dorm painting contracts in September and worked under former Vice President Dennis Black.
Yerry conspired with Joseph LoVetro, “a poker buddy”, to make the contract plan while Yerry was in charge, according to The Buffalo News.
They developed the plan in Yerry’s home in Sloan to make sure he would get $100,000 in exchange for his win.
Prosecutors said LoVetro was inexperienced in his job and failed to file required monthly payroll records for his crewmembers. This prompted the State Department of Labor to investigate if he was violating the state’s wage regulations, which is when investigators uncovered his bid rigging.
Yerry retired and was arrested in September in Nevada and fined $40,000.
Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn Jr. said after the court proceeds that there isn’t evidence to prove that Yerry was taking bribes during his tenure at UB.
LoVetro eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges.
Yerry retired and sold his Nevada home. He is free on $100,000 bail and returns to court for sentencing May 2.
Hannah Stein is a senior news editor and can be reached at hannah.stein@ubspectrum.com
