United States Attorney's Office
Northern District of California
July 1, 2015
Former Top GSA Official Sentenced to Three Months Imprisonment and Three Months Home Detention
SAN FRANCISCO- Jeffrey Neely, the former Acting Regional Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), was sentenced to three months imprisonment, to be followed by three months of home confinement, in connection with his guilty plea for making a false claim to the United States, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and GSA Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Theresa Quellhorst.
From June 2003 to May 2012, Neely, 59, of Gardnerville, NV, was the Regional Commissioner for the Public Buildings Service for GSA’s Pacific Rim Region, which includes California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Saipan, as well as certain properties in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and elsewhere. Between March 30, 2009, and July 31, 2011, Neely was also Acting Regional Administrator, making him the top GSA official for the region.
Neely was indicted on September 25, 2014, on three counts of making false claims under 18 U.S.C. § 287, and two counts of making false statements and using false documents, under 18 U.S.C. § 1001. He pleaded guilty to one false claim count on March 31, 2015, admitting that he submitted a false reimbursement claim for lodging expenses at M Resort Spa Casino Las Vegas that he had not incurred for official business. Neely also admitted that he submitted and caused GSA to pay additional false claims during his tenure, that he improperly failed to claim annual leave on certain dates, that these acts constitute an abuse of his position of trust with GSA, and that he obstructed justice during GSA’s investigation.
“Mr. Neely has acknowledged he violated the special trust that was placed in him as a public servant,” said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag. “His position with the government required that he be a good steward of government funds. Instead, he has admitted he abused his position and obstructed the investigation into his wrongdoing. He is being held accountable for his decision to violate the law.”
The sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg also included payment of $8,000 in restitution, a $2,000 fine, and a two year period of supervised release. Neely is scheduled to surrender and begin serving his sentence on August 14, 2015.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hartley M.K. West prosecuted the case with the assistance of Rosario Calderon and Trina Khadoo. The prosecution was the result of an investigation by the GSA’s Office of Inspector General.
