Tioga Downs Vendors Allegedly Used Fraudulent Contract Scheme

Tioga Downs owner Jeff Gural says he doesn't know what will happen next after state investigators reportedly uncovered fraud involving contractors hired for the casino project.

According to The Buffalo News, Tioga Downs improperly claimed about $3 million in minority and women-owned credits from the state.

Gural told WNBF News he "had no idea" that the inspector general's office was looking into allegations of fraud involving companies that did work to develop the casino several years ago.

Construction work at Tioga Downs in Nichols in November 2016. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Gural said: "I'm an honest person. I would never go along" with the type of schemes investigators apparently discovered.

At this point, Gural doesn't know whether Tioga Downs will be expected to reimburse the state for the tax credits claimed for the project in the town of Nichols.

Gural said he was unaware of the matter until he was contacted by a reporter for the Buffalo newspaper last week.

According to the Albany Times Union, Tioga Downs used a minority- and women-owned business as a pass-through entity to obtain food from Maines Paper and Food Service and another company.

Several hundred people lost their jobs when Maines, which was based in Conklin, shut down its operations.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com.

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