BridgePort Digital Group and Five Companies Colluded in TechCred Fraud, Ohio OIG Finds
Summary
Ohio OIG Investigation 2025-CA00007 found that BridgePort Digital Group, an IT training provider, and five companies (CTD Entertainment Management LLC, Head to Head Outreach Inc., Naturally Cynthia LLC, Rayal Transportation LLC, and Reece Investigations and Security Consultants LLC) colluded to obtain improper reimbursements from the Ohio Department of Development's TechCred Grant Program. Investigators subpoenaed and reviewed bank records revealing that BIA invoices and company checks submitted to ODEV for reimbursement did not reflect actual payments made to BIA for employee trainings. The reimbursements were split between BIA and the five companies, and two company owners admitted they either had no employees or did not recognize the names of employees submitted for TechCred reimbursement. The investigation is being referred to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office and the Ohio Auditor of State.
The fraud centered on inconsistencies between training reimbursement claims and actual payroll records — two of the five companies' owners admitted they lacked employees or did not recognize names submitted to ODEV. Employers that have received TechCred or similar government upskilling reimbursements should proactively reconcile their training vendor invoices, proof-of-payment records, and W-2 employee rosters before an audit inquiry.
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GovPing monitors Ohio OIG for new government & legislation regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 3 changes logged to date.
What changed
Ohio OIG released its investigation into BridgePort Digital Group and five companies for fraudulent claims under the TechCred Grant Program. Investigators used subpoenaed bank records to demonstrate that BIA invoices and company checks submitted to ODEV for reimbursement did not match actual payments made to BIA for employee trainings. The five companies split reimbursements with BIA, and two owners admitted having no employees or not recognizing submitted employee names. The report is referred to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office and Ohio Auditor of State for potential criminal and financial audit action.
Companies that participate in government skill-development grant programs should ensure all documentation of employee training, vendor invoices, and proof-of-payment records are internally consistent and verifiable. Compliance teams at employers using third-party IT training providers should reconcile training claims against actual payroll records, as the scheme centered on fictitious or unrecognizable employee rosters.
Archived snapshot
Apr 22, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
April 07, 2026
In 2024, the Office of the Ohio Inspector General released Report of Investigation 2023-CA00004 involving BridgePort Digital Group, an online information technology training provider, and multiple companies who had obtained IT training for their employees. The investigation found that the companies had received improper monetary reimbursements from the Ohio Department of Development (ODEV) TechCred Grant Program. TechCred is a program administered by ODEV that gives employers the chance to upskill current and future employees who complete eligible technology-focused credentials. Employers who submit successful applications to the program are eligible to be reimbursed up to $2,000 per W-2 employee who completes an approved training. During this investigation, investigators learned that Bronzeville IT Academy (BIA), a company that received training from BridgePort Digital Group and ultimately received improper monetary reimbursements from the TechCred Grant Program, was listed as a provider of IT training services for five companies (CTD Entertainment Management, LLC; Head to Head Outreach, Inc.; Naturally Cynthia LLC; Rayal Transportation LLC; and Reece Investigations and Security Consultants, LLC) who received TechCred reimbursements.
On May 28, 2025, a new investigation was initiated by the Office of the Ohio Inspector General to evaluate whether the “proof of payment” documentation the five companies submitted to ODEV for reimbursements actually matched the payment amounts issued by these companies to BIA for employee trainings. Investigators subpoenaed and evaluated the five companies’ bank records to determine whether the BIA invoices the companies submitted to ODEV for reimbursement of their employees’ trainings were legitimate. From their review of these records, investigators discovered that the BIA’s invoices and the five companies’ corresponding checks submitted to ODEV for reimbursements did not reflect actual payments made to BIA for their training. The investigation found that the TechCred reimbursements were split between BIA and the five companies. In addition, two of the company owners involved in the scheme admitted to investigators that they either did not have any employees or did not recognize the names of the employees who were submitted to ODEV for TechCred reimbursement for BIA trainings.
This report of investigation is being referred to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio Auditor of State for consideration.
Ohio Inspector General Report of Investigation file number 2025-CA00007 is now available.
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Office of the Ohio Inspector General
(614) 644-9110
watchdog@oig.ohio.gov
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