Eleven Federal Government Employees and Contractors Convicted and Sentenced as Part of Investigation into GSA Contracts
WASHINGTON — A General Services Administration (GSA) customer service manager was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his role in a bribery scheme related to payments he received for awarding GSA contracts to various government contractors, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, GSA Inspector General Brian D. Miller and Assistant Director in Charge James W. McJunkin of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Eric M. Minor, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo M. Urbina of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who also ordered him to pay $118,000 in restitution. Minor previously pleaded guilty to one count of bribery.
According to information presented in court, from 2007 until 2010, Minor devised and executed with others a scheme to obtain approximately $118,000 in cash kickback payments for himself from six government contractors in exchange for using his official position to retain their companies to perform maintenance and construction work at GSA facilities that he managed. Minor, a 25-year employee with GSA, served as a customer service manager in the District of Columbia and elsewhere. Minor was responsible for coordinating, planning, estimating, contracting and scheduling work for his field office – the Potomac Service Center – which is responsible for federal buildings and federal leased space in Virginia and the National Capital Region.
This case marks the culmination of a multi-year covert investigation into corruption by government employees and civilian contractors involved in the award and administration of GSA contracts in the Washington, D.C., metro area. The investigation resulted in the conviction of 11 individuals, including Minor, all of whom pleaded guilty to federal criminal offenses including bribery and conspiracy.
“As the result of this multi-year investigation, 11 federal workers and contractors have been convicted for participating in multiple bribery and kickback schemes,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “Instead of serving taxpayers honestly, these government employees and contractors turned to corruption – steering business to favored individuals in exchange for kickbacks and using bribes to secure government contracts. Taxpayers have a right to know that their dollars are being put to good use, not to line the pockets of corrupt federal employees or contractors. We will continue to punish corrupt behavior wherever we find it.”
“For the past five years, our special agents have brought these corrupt officials to justice one by one,” said GSA Inspector General Miller. “The breadth of this network suggests that some officials believe it is okay to line their own pockets at the expense of taxpayers. We will not tolerate this attitude and will aggressively investigate any situation where ‘business as usual’ includes graft and corruption.”
“Today’s sentencing is a reminder that individuals who scheme to defraud the U.S. Government, violate the public’s trust and will be brought to justice,” said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “Through the FBI’s liaison with our government partners, we are able to identify these fraudulent improprieties and bring the full force of the government against those who seek to use tax payer dollars for private gain.”
In addition to Minor, each of the following 10 individuals pleaded guilty to federal offenses relating to bribery and kickback schemes in the award and administration of GSA contracts, and each has been sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Urbina for their illegal activities:
On Feb. 19, 2008, James Fisher pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to his work as a planner and estimator for GSA at the White House Property Management Center in the District of Columbia. Fisher was sentenced on May 13, 2008, to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution.
On Aug. 19, 2008, William Dodson pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to his work as a building manager for GSA at the Potomac Annex in the District of Columbia. Dodson was sentenced on Sept. 10, 2009, to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $26,200 in restitution.
On Oct. 6, 2008, Daniel Money pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to his work as a government contractor at the U.S. Tax Court in the District of Columbia. Money was sentenced on Feb. 5, 2009, to 30 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $95,000.
On Aug. 14, 2008, Fred Timbol pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States related to his work as a facilities services officer at the U.S. Tax Court in the District of Columbia. Timbol was sentenced on March 5, 2009, to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $24,143 in restitution.
On June 23, 2008, Oscar Flores pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to his work as a government contractor at the U.S. Tax Court in the District of Columbia. Flores was sentenced on April 12, 2010, to six months of home confinement, three years of probation, and 300 hours of community service and was ordered to pay a $40,000 fine.
On May 12, 2008, Raj Singla pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to his work as a mechanical engineer at the Wilbur J. Cohen Building in the District of Columbia. Singla was sentenced on May 27, 2010, to five years of probation and six months of home confinement and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay a $75,000 fine and restitution of $74,000.
On Feb. 18, 2010, Suresh Malhotra pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to his work as a general engineer and project manager for GSA in the District of Columbia. Malhotra was sentenced on May 27, 2010, to five years of probation and nine months of home confinement and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay a $60,000 fine and restitution of $57,060.
On June 30, 2010, Tarsem Singh pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to his work as a consultant for a government contractor working at GSA facilities in the District of Columbia. Singh was sentenced on Nov. 1, 2010, to five years of probation and six months of home confinement and was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine.
On Dec. 16, 2010, Narsinh J. Patel pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to his work as a government contractor at GSA facilities in the District of Columbia. Patel was sentenced on March 10, 2011, to three years of probation, and was ordered to perform 250 hours of community service and pay a $10,000 fine.
On Jan. 29, 2009, Gary Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to his work as a building manager for GSA at the Metropolitan Service Center in Maryland. Thompson was sentenced on Aug. 2, 2011, to nine months in prison, and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and forfeit $55,000.
This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Daniel A. Petalas, Richard B. Evans and Peter Koski of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The case was investigated by special agents of the GSA-Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
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