Contractor Gerard Roy consistently had good references and the lowest bid.
It won him construction contracts for coveted public projects, from a Scott County regional park to part of the Metro Transit Green Line.
But last month Roy, 53, was charged in Scott County with five counts of forgery for allegedly fabricating surety bonds — documents ensuring that a contractor will complete a job and pay subcontractors and suppliers. It's the latest chapter in a history of criminal activity, short-lived business ventures and financial failures stretching back more than 20 years.
Roy admits that he fabricated bonds. He did it, he said, to get job contracts and provide work for people he met in prison.
"Due to my criminal record, I can't get performance and payment bonds," he said. "So I created my own."
It worked until a subcontractor who hadn't been paid for work at Cleary Lake Regional Park tried to make a claim against one of the bonds. Investigations are underway, but in the meantime, there are unfinished projects and people waiting to be paid.
Roy's current company, RSI Associates Inc., declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy Feb. 19, revealing estimated debts of as much as $1 million owed to more than 30 creditors. They include companies such as Cemstone and Ryan Electric, along with a smattering of government bodies and agencies: the city of Hastings, Scott County, the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority and Metro Transit.
The bankruptcy was dismissed March 10, following a request to either convert the case to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or dismiss it altogether.