Goodbye, Newman.
In a case saturated in pop culture references, a fake architect named Paul J. Newman has been sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison after he was caught in a New York state fraud investigation dubbed “Operation Vandelay Industries,” a reference to the 90’s sitcom Seinfeld.
Newman was sentenced on Sept. 5 after pleading guilty to six felonies that included grand larceny and fraud, the Associated Press reports. As part of his sentence, Newman must pay a $115,000 restitution.
According to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office, Newman rendered fraudulent architectural services in Albany, Rensselaer, and Saratoga counties dating back to 2010. His victims include municipalities and businesses.
For those not well versed in the show about nothing’s running gags, Art Vandelay, a phony architect, was the alias of George Costanza. Vandelay Industries later became a fictional company on the show. Seinfeld’s Newman, meanwhile, was Jerry Seinfeld’s arch nemesis.
Related Stories
| May 7, 2012
Best AEC Firms: MHTN Architects nine decades of dedication to Utah
This 65-person design firm has served Salt Lake City and the state of Utah for the better part of 90 years.
| May 7, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: TD Ameritrade Park
The new stadium for the College World Series in Omaha combines big-league amenities within a traditional minor league atmosphere.
| May 7, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: Fort Belvoir Community Hospital
A new military hospital invokes evidence-based design to create a LEED-certified facility for the nation’s soldiers and their families.
| May 7, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital
How a Building Team created a high-tech rehabilitation center for wounded veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
| May 3, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: Rush University Medical Center
This fully integrated Building Team opted for a multi-prime contracting strategy to keep construction going on Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, despite the economic meltdown.
| May 3, 2012
U of Michigan team looking to create highly efficient building envelope designs
The system combines the use of sensors, novel construction materials, and utility control software in an effort to create technology capable of reducing a building’s carbon footprint.
| May 3, 2012
Best commercial modular buildings and marketing programs recognized
Judges scored entries on architectural excellence, technical innovation, cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, and calendar days to complete.
| May 3, 2012
Zero Energy Research Lab opens at North Texas
The living lab—the only one of its kind in Texas—is designed to test various technologies and systems in order to achieve a net-zero consumption of energy.
| May 3, 2012
NSF publishes ANSI standard evaluating the sustainability of single ply roofing membranes
New NSF Standard provides manufacturers, specifiers and building industry with verifiable, objective criteria to identify sustainable roofing products.
