Lawsuit Filed by Target Alleges Fraud by Paving Contractor

National retail chain Target Corp. has filed a federal racketeering lawsuit in Minneapolis, alleging that it has been systematically defrauded by a contractor it hired in 2009 to oversee about $100 million in repairs and maintenance on its parking lots around the country. The company alleges that LCH Pavement Consultants of Pearland, TX, conspired with paving contractors in California, Wisconsin, Texas and Illinois to inflate prices, rig bids, fix prices, misrepresent work being done and distribute kickbacks.