CHICAGO, April 11 (UPI) -- The FBI is investigating 350Green, a company that won a contract in Chicago to build charging stations for electric cars, contractors say.
The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that the FBI would not comment on any investigation. But two contractors who have dealt with the company said an investigation appeared to be in progress.
The company, based in Los Angeles, was selected to build several hundred charging stations in Chicago under a contract that said they were to be completed by the end of 2011. The company has stopped work in the city and in 19 other cities and regions, the Tribune said.
Contractors and vendors complain of unpaid bills and short payments.
The project in Chicago was paid for with state and federal grant money with the city acting as a conduit. The Tribune said it obtained documents that show 350Green submitted copies of checks to get reimbursement, but contractors said they never got the checks.
Tim Mason, 350Green's president, blamed the company's payment record on "clerical errors" by ex-employees.
"Those people involved there who were doing the invoicing and billing are not with the company anymore," he said.
