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CBS Atlanta TV

Federal Document Shows GDOT Contractor Lied On Affidavit
Company Swore To Check Employee’s Legal Status in Federal Database

By Jeff Chirico, CBS Atlanta Investigative Reporter

September 9, 2010

ATLANTA — A Department of Homeland Security document obtained exclusively by CBS Atlanta shows a Georgia Department of Transportation contractor lied on a government affidavit. On that affidavit the company owner promised to make sure his employees were in this country legally by checking a federal database called E-Verify.

Last month, CBS Atlanta started asking Tough Questions to Bromell Manicured Lawns of Conyers. The Conyers-based business has a $530,000 mowing contract with GDOT.

In July one of Bromell’s employees, 27-year-old Silmar Constantino was hit and killed on Freedom Parkway while cutting grass. CBS Atlanta later learned from GDOT that Constantino was an illegal immigrant.

Company owner Michael Bromell signed an affidavit on June 16 swearing that he was registered with E-Verify. But a Department of Homeland Security list of Georgia employers registered to use E-Verify shows Bromell Manicured Lawns did not sign up to use the database until August 26, 2010. That is ten days after CBS Atlanta aired the first story about Bromell.

A GDOT spokesman even told CBS Atlanta in an email last month the company registered with E-Verify in May.

Cobb County District Attorney Pat Head learned of the investigation from a concerned citizen. He asked the Cobb County Sheriff to investigate claims that the company owner lied on a government document and gave false information to a government agency. He said the crimes are felonies and can carry a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Head said GDOT could have requested an investigation when it learned of the discrepancies. As of this point, GDOT has not said it has asked for an investigation.

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