PETER M. MORLOCK PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

On March 8 Peter Murphy of Coventry-based A&A Asphalt turned himself in to the Wethersfield police on charges of forgery in the second degree. The arrest report alleges Murphy forged a document to get a contract with the town of Wethersfield.

About eight months earlier, Murphy bid on a project for the town of Wethersfield to repair cracks in the town´s roads. His $34,510 bid was dramatically lower than other bidders, and significantly less than the town´s $50,000 budget for the repairs. According to a town official, the second-lowest bid for the job was twice as high.

The town accepted the bid in August 2005. In order for the deal to go through, A&A´s bid had to be backed by a bond from an insurance company. Bid bonds, typically 5 percent of the value of the bid, ensure that the town would receive its money back if the company failed to provide the service. Initially, A&A didn´t submit a bid bond to the town. In light of the favorable price offered by A&A, the town treated the lack of a bid bond as a technicality it could waive, according to town officials.

Then A&A later submitted a bid bond, backed by New Britain-based ACSTAR Insurance Company.

Newington-based Costello Industries, the second-highest bidder on the project, questioned the deal.

¨We were suspicious about A&A,¨ Costello Industries owner John Costello said.

Costello´s suspicion of A&A stemmed from more than just losing out on the Wethersfield bid. A&A has been involved in numerous lawsuits, including a February 2004 suit brought by Middletown´s tax collector for failing to pay for police traffic control while repairing town roads.

Costello said that through a Freedom of Information request, he obtained a copy of A&A´s bid bond and called ACSTAR, where an official there denied issuing the bond. In a letter to Costello provided to the Advocate by the town, ACSTAR wrote, ¨ACSTAR Insurance Company did not and will not support his Bid Bond and the Town of Wethersfield should not rely upon the bond, since it is fake.¨

Costello sent letters concerning the alleged fraud to several Wethersfield town officials and Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. At the Sept. 19 Wethersfield Town Council meeting, the council voted to rescind the contract.

¨The town accepted A&A´s bid based on favorable prior experience and how they were the lowest price offered. The town had no idea that there was a problem with the bid bond,¨ Wethersfield Town Attorney Jack Bradley said.

According to Executive Assistant State´s Attorney Judith Rossi, second-degree forgery is a felony, punishable by up to five years in jail. Murphy was granted a continuance at his March 22 arraignment. His next court date is April 19.

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