Internal memos seized from the Washington Twp. offices of TesTech Inc. show company President Sherif Aziz worried that his hidden business ties with wealthy developer David C. Oakes would be easily uncovered in an audit and “viewed as fraudulent,” causing what he warned could be “serious legal ramifications” for both men.

Federal transportation agents found the memos in boxes of records seized as part of a July 2011 raid of the civil engineering firm’s offices. Three separate memos were entered into evidence during a closed-door civil hearing in April that resulted with TesTech being ousted from an Ohio Department of Transportation set-aside program for disadvantaged minority business owners.

The Dayton Daily News obtained the 900-page transcript of that hearing through a public records request. The material did not include the actual memos, and transportation officials last week declined to release them, saying they are part of a continuing investigation.

Did the company hide true ownership in order to qualify for federal contracts?  Did TesTech and the Oakes companies try to gain an unfair advantage over competitors?

This exclusive story will not be published on our free website. Our most important coverage is only available to subscribers to our newspaper or our iPad application. 

Subscribers can view a digital rendering of Sunday's newspaper here.

Set up a subscription

Where can you buy Sunday's paper?

Find out more about our iPad app, free for a limited time.