Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Northern District of New York
December 22, 2021
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Cindy McAleese, age 55, of Dexter, New York, was arraigned today on a one-count indictment charging her with conspiring to commit an offense against the United States by seeking and accepting gratuities.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Larry S. Moreland, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Mid-Atlantic Fraud Field Office; Joseph Dattoria, Special Agent in Charge of the General Services Administration, Office of the Inspector General; Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region; and Joseph Harris, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Region.
The indictment alleges that McAleese, while working as a civilian contracting officer for the U.S. Army at Fort Drum, in Jefferson County, New York, sought and received things of value from local general contractor Sean O’Sullivan, including sports tickets, meals, sexual encounters, and time and attention, in exchange for McAleese’s taking official action on O’Sullivan’s behalf, such as providing O’Sullivan’s company with government contracts and approving payment on those contracts. The indictment also alleges that McAleese and O’Sullivan took steps to keep their relationship a secret from other officials at Fort Drum. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
O’Sullivan has already pled guilty to similar charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2022, by United States District Judge David N. Hurd.
United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks released McAleese pending a trial to be scheduled before Judge Hurd in Utica, New York. The charge filed against McAleese carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division; General Services Administration, Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; and Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Region, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office press release
