Savannah River Site research companies admit to submitting false paperwork
Oct. 7—Two companies that participated in research partnerships at the Savannah River Site have pleaded guilty to submitting false paperwork to the Department of Energy.
Greenway Energy LLC and Savannah River Consulting LLC pleaded guilty on Sept. 14.
Greenway Energy was formed on Nov. 13, 2006, and its registered agent is Scott Greenway.
According to information provided to the court, the company is engaged in the research of hydrogen including production, storage and fuel cell technology applications. Earlier this year, the company received $400,000 from the Department of Energy to study hydrogen production and storage.
Savannah River Consulting was formed on Feb. 17, 2011, and its registered agent is also Greenway. According to information provided to the court, it engaged in commercial physical research in Aiken.
Both companies participated in research partnerships and received research grant funds from the Department of Energy as administrated by the Savannah River National Laboratory, according to the information provided to the court.
"Beginning at a time unknown but from at least Dec. 1, 2010 and continuing in or about September 2019 in the District of South Carolina and elsewhere, the defendants, Greenway Energy LLC and Savannah River Consulting LLC, made and presented to the United States Department of Energy claims upon and against the United States, that is: demands for payment for employee labor hours, knowing that the claims were false, fictitious and fraudulent," Assistant United States Attorney DeWayne Pearson wrote to the court.
Greenway signed plea agreements for both companies on Sept. 14.
Pearson signed the agreements on Sept. 28.
The agreement calls for the companies to pay fines and restitution as determined by the court at sentencing. It adds that the companies have agreed not to protest if they are suspended from being a federal contractor for a specified amount of time.
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
