Crime & Safety
Man Who Defrauded CalTrans Gets Prison, Loses Houses, Cars and Star Wars Collection
Eric Hodgson, 43, was hired to advertise Caltrans contracts, but pocketed the money instead.
An Elk Grove man has agreed to a plea deal after he was charged with defrauding CalTrans out of nearly $1.9 million.
Eric Hodgson, 43, will get nine years in prison and forfeit two houses, two cars, "several retirement accounts and a collection of Star Wars items worth more than $10,000," the California Attorney General's office said in a press release.
The attorney general's office said Hodgson, the owner of a print shop, was hired by Caltrans to advertise new construction contracts to bidders–which is required by law.
Instead of running the advertisements as promised, he provided fake documents to Caltrans and used the money to pay off his mortgage, buy toys and comic books, and buy "exotic trips for him and his company staff," the press release states.
In all, authorities say he stole the money from three separate contracts with the state totaling nearly $1.9 million.
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