ST. LOUIS — Brian Kowert Sr., formerly a co-owner and chief operating officer of HBD Construction Inc. in Clayton, was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison and fined $100,000 for orchestrating a scheme in which participation in minority business enterprise programs was falsified.
He pleaded guilty in January to two counts of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office in St. Louis said.
Kowert acted as the project manager for the renovation and redevelopment of a property for Greater Goods LLC in St. Louis, officials said. Kowert, along with Charles Kirkwood, the owner of Midwestern Construction, agreed to falsely list Kirkwood's company as providing materials and performing work on the project, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
There is no record of charges having been brought against Kirkwood in federal court. He couldn't immediately be reached.
