Four Port Everglades employees, William Woessner, 68, of Margate, Florida, David Moore, 43, of Pompano Beach, Florida, John McGahee, 43, of Davie, Florida, and Rajindra Lallharry, 60, of Coral Springs, Florida, and business owner Bryan Zascavage, 57, of Pompano, Florida, were each charged in an one-count Information with Conspiracy to Commit Fraud Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
As set forth in the charging documents, Woessner, Moore, McGahee, and Lallharrywere employees of Port Everglades (U.S. v. Moore, Case No. 19-60206-Ungaro; U.S. v. Woeesner, Case No. 19-60202-Altman; U.S. v. McGahee, Case No. 19-60204-Smith; and U.S. v. Lallharry, Case No. 19-60205-Dimitrouleas). They were issued purchase cards or P-cards, which were to be used to buy goods and services for Port Everglades. Instead, they utilized the P-cards to engage in schemes to illegally profit from the use of the cards.
Zascavage operated a business, Z & Z, Inc., that provided goods and services to the Port (U.S. v. Zascavage, Case No. 19-60203-Ungaro). Woessner and Zascavage engaged in a scheme wherein Woessner would direct Zascavage to purchase certain goods. Woessner would pay for the goods using his Port Everglades P-card, but the goods were not sent to Port Everglades. Instead, Woessner utilized the goods at his plumbing company.
Moore and Zascavage engaged in a scheme wherein Zascavage would receive payments for goods ordered by Moore utilizing his Port Everglades P-card. None of the goods would be sent to the Port. Zascavage and Moore would split the illegally obtained funds.
McGahee and Zascavage engaged in a scheme wherein Zascavage would receive payments for services ordered by McGahee utilizing his Port Everglades P-card. The services ordered by McGahee would not be performed by Zascavage or his company. Zascavage and McGahee would split the illegally obtained funds.
Lallharry’s family owned five separate companies. Lallharry would utilize his P-card to make direct payments to each of the family-owned companies for goods to allegedly be utilized by the Port. The goods were not delivered to the Port. The illegally obtained funds were utilized by Lallharry and his family to pay personal expenses, including approximately $101,790.85 to pay monthly expenses due the Chapter 13 trustee overseeing Lallharry’s bankruptcy.
Woessner, Moore, McGahee, Lallharry, and Zascavage each face a statutory maximum term of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice the amount of the gross gain or the gross loss.
An Information is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI in connection with this matter. She also thanked the Broward County Sheriff’s Office – Public Corruption Unit, Office of the Broward County Auditors, and Port Everglades Department – Port Director’s Office for their assistance with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey N. Kaplan.
