YOUNGSTOWN — Philip M. Beshara and Samuel J. DeCaria are named in a federal bill of information alleging they “enriched themselves by improperly withdrawing and diverting money” from B&B Contractors and Developers Inc.

The two former B&B executives are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in an attempt to obtain money from the Liberty company.

The information, filed Wednesday, alleges that from March 3, 2006, through about Sept. 26, 2016, in the Northern District of Ohio, Beshara and DeCaria conspired to devise a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property under materially false and fraudulent pretenses.

They are accused of defrauding B&B of about $1.6 million and collecting about $350,000 from inflated invoices.

Beshara is accused of having done these things to transmit writings through wire communication in interstate and foreign commerce to further the scheme, the filing alleges.

The object of the conspiracy was for Beshara and DeCaria to enrich themselves by improperly withdrawing and diverting B&B funds to Beshara, the filing states. Beshara was serving as president of B&B. He allegedly would issue or cause others, including DeCaria, to issue checks drawn from B&B’s account at First National Bank. The funds were not issued as compensation for Beshara’s employment with B&B.

Beshara would then either cash the checks or deposit or cause others to deposit the amounts into Beshara’s personal bank accounts, the filing alleges.

Beshara also oversaw evaluation of invoices submitted by subcontractors who worked on construction projects managed by B&B, and Beshara would inflate subcontractors’ invoices so that the subcontractors charged B&B an inflated amount, the filing alleges.

After paying the inflated amount to the subcontractors, Beshara then caused the subcontractors to pay Beshara a portion of the inflated amount, the filing alleges.

DeCaria, while overseeing B&B’s accounting department, managed the financial accounts and allowed, facilitated and failed to report Beshara’s fraudulent transactions, the filing alleges.

It lists the transactions taking place from 2008 through 2016 involved in the scheme.

The case is assigned to Judge J. Philip Calabreze in Cleveland and Magistrate James E. Grimes Jr., who who set an arraignment / change of plea hearing for both men for 11 a.m. Wednesday in Cleveland federal court.

Both men signed a waiver of indictment last month that allows the government to prosecute a criminal case against them by way of a document called a “bill of information” instead of indictment.

The documents state that each man understands that he has been accused of one or more offenses punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.

Beshara at one point was going to be a witness against former Youngstown Finance Director David Bozanich and property developer Dominic Marchionda in their criminal cases involving charges of public corruption.

Beshara testified during a January 2020 hearing that he gave $20,000 in cash in an envelope to Bozanich in spring 2009. Beshara never was asked the reason why he gave Bozanich the money. An indictment of Bozanich, Marchionda and others, however, alleged Beshara did it so the city would give grant money to Marchionda for his Flats at Wick student-housing complex project.

During cross-examination, Beshara admitted he was under FBI investigation for embezzling $1 million to $2 million and that he “suggested” subcontractors pay him for money to do business with the company.

Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court stopped the line of questioning after 15 minutes and chose to strike Beshara’s testimony because “he could be prosecuted” for it.

Bozanich and Marchionda pleaded guilty to reduced charges unrelated to the alleged $20,000 payment.

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