Former
Lawrence Public School Dept. Graphic
Designer, John Laurenza Cited for
Accepting Bribes Accepted money in a
bid rigging arrangement with a vendor
The Massachusetts State
Ethics Commission approved a Disposition
Agreement in with former Lawrence Public
School Department Graphic Designer John
Laurenza today. Laurenza admitted to
violating conflict of interest laws,
(specifically MGL. c. 268A), by accepting
bribes from a vendor, Wellington House
Publishing to rig bids on two LPS
contracts so that Wellington could be
awarded the contracts.
In March Lawrence Superintendent Wilfredo
Laboy was convicted for accepting a
$1,500 kickback from Laurenza among other
charges.
According to the agreement between
Laurenza and the Ethics Commission,
Laurenza will pay a $4,000 civil penalty
for accepting bribes from Wellington and
will pay a $536 civil forfeiture to the
City of Lawrence for the money paid to
him by Wellington.
The Agreement states that in 2008,
Laurenza was assigned to procure 10,000
pocket folders for the LPS.
Wellington offered to pay Laurenza in
exchange for Laurenza arranging for
Wellington to be awarded the contract.
Wellington did not have the equipment to
provide pocket folders to the LPS.
Laurenza obtained a bid of $4,347.60 from
another vendor to produce the pocket
folders. Laurenza then reported to the
LPS that Wellington had provided the
lowest bid of $4,788.
After being awarded the contract,
Wellington purchased the pocket folders
for $4,347.60 from the vendor identified
by Laurenza, and provided them to the
LPS. On June 3, 2008, Wellington
submitted an invoice in the amount of
$4,950.40 to LPS for the pocket folders,
reflecting the amount reported by
Laurenza as the low bid, plus a purported
shipping charge.
On July 17, 2008, the City of Lawrence
issued a check in the amount of $4,950.40
to Wellington, which, in turn, paid a
$245.84 kickback to Laurenza for
arranging for Wellington to be awarded
the pocket folders contract.
Also in 2008, Laurenza was assigned to
update and procure 15,000 copies of a
bi-weekly timesheet used by the LPS
Payroll Department.
Wellington offered to pay Laurenza in
exchange for Laurenza arranging for
Wellington to be awarded the contract.
Wellington did not have the equipment to
produce the timesheets. Laurenza obtained
a bid from another vendor to print the
timesheets for an amount substantially
less than $1,194. Laurenza then reported
to the LPS that Wellington had submitted
the lowest bid of $1,194. After being
awarded the contract, Wellington
purchased the timesheets from the other
vendor and provided them to the LPS. On
August 26, 2008, Wellington submitted an
invoice to LPS in the amount of $1,347.92
for the timesheets, with the increased
amount representing a purported shipping
charge.
On September 29, 2008, the City of
Lawrence issued a check in the amount of
$1,347.92 to Wellington as payment for
the timesheets. On October 20, 2008,
Wellington paid a $290.28 kickback to
Laurenza for arranging for Wellington to
obtain the timesheets contract.
Section 2(b) of the conflict of interest
law prohibits a municipal employee from
corruptly receiving anything of value for
himself in return for being influenced in
the performance of any official act or
act within his official responsibility.
According to the agreement between
Laurenza and the Ethics Commission,
Laurenza’s arrangement with
Wellington was a corrupt act because it
involved an agreement to rig the contract
bid process in exchange for payments.
Laurenza violated section 2(b) by falsely
certifying that Wellington was the low
bidder on each of the two contracts, by
arranging for LPS purchase orders to be
issued to Wellington, and by accepting
payments in the total amount of $536.12
from Wellington in exchange for arranging
for Wellington to be awarded the
contracts.
This is the second instance in which an
LPS Graphics Department employee was
cited for accepting bribes from
Wellington.
On October 6, 2011, the Commission cited
former LPS Graphics Department employee
Charles Birchall for accepting bribes in
exchange for arranging for LPS to
purchase a folding machine from
Wellington that did not exist and was
never delivered to the LPS, and for using
LPS Graphics Department resources to
print copies of a book for Wellington.
Birchall paid a $6,000 civil penalty and
a $2,449 civil forfeiture.
The Massachusetts State
Ethics Commission approved a Disposition
Agreement in with former Lawrence Public
School Department Graphic Designer John
Laurenza today. Laurenza admitted to
violating conflict of interest laws,
(specifically MGL. c. 268A), by accepting
bribes from a vendor, Wellington House
Publishing to rig bids on two LPS
contracts so that Wellington could be
awarded the contracts. 
