Cement company owner gets prison in perjury case
The president of a Riverview cement company was sentenced to one year and one day in federal court in Detroit today after a jury in April convicted him of obstructing justice and lying to a grand jury about paying bribes to city of Detroit officials. Alan Pighin, 58, of Temperance, who heads Century Cement Co., was also fined $5,000 and ordered to spend two years on supervised release once he gets out of prison. Jurors found Pighin lied under oath when he denied paying two city construction inspectors $1,000 each and he intentionally failed to tell the grand jury he installed a free concrete driveway worth $1,500 at the home of Detroit inspector Dwight Harris. The obstruction of justice charge related to Pighin suggesting that Harris

Cement company owner gets prison in perjury case

Paul Egan / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The president of a Riverview cement company was sentenced to one year and one day in federal court in Detroit today after a jury in April convicted him of obstructing justice and lying to a grand jury about paying bribes to city of Detroit officials.

Alan Pighin, 58, of Temperance, who heads Century Cement Co., was also fined $5,000 and ordered to spend two years on supervised release once he gets out of prison.

Jurors found Pighin lied under oath when he denied paying two city construction inspectors $1,000 each and he intentionally failed to tell the grand jury he installed a free concrete driveway worth $1,500 at the home of Detroit inspector Dwight Harris.

The obstruction of justice charge related to Pighin suggesting that Harris also testify falsely.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Chutkow asked U.S. District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds to give Pighin at least two years in prison, based on federal sentencing guidelines, but Edmunds cited Pighin's otherwise exemplary life and the support of family members and employees who depend on him in reaching below the guideline range.

Jeffrey Collins, who was U.S. Attorney for the district at the time of the Pighin investigation and is now a lawyer in private practice, asked Edmunds to show leniency, despite a crime he said is "an affront to the integrity of the criminal justice system."

"He has recognized that he has made a grave mistake," that could lead to the demise of a company founded by Pighin's father, which employs 35 people, Collins said.

Pighin read a statement in which he apologized to the court, family, employees and friends and business associates.

"My future will be devoted to salvaging my reputation and rebuilding the image of Century Cement Co.," Pighin said.

Chutkow argued against giving Pighin any breaks.

"We simply can't have an exemption for committing federal crimes for small business owners," he said.

You can reach Paul Egan at (313) 222-2069 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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