Jesse James Anderson, 34, of Augusta, Georgia pled guilty last week to a charge that he made false statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. The false statements concerned the number of hours he worked for a National Security Agency (NSA) subcontractor.
According to evidence presented during the guilty plea hearing, Anderson worked as a linguist for an NSA subcontractor from February 1, 2012 to January 31, 2014. During this time, Anderson submitted numerous timesheets falsely stating the number of hours he had worked. In total, Anderson claimed he worked 736.25 more hours than he actually did, which caused the United States to pay out $69,276.55 more than was actually owed.
United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “False claims submitted to the United States for payments not owed is theft and should be punished to the full extent of the law. Protecting taxpayer money is a top priority for this United States Attorney’s Office.”
Anderson faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. In addition, the Court can order Anderson to pay restitution in the amount of $69,276.55.
NSA Office of Inspector General Investigator Kristen M. McGrath conducted the investigation which led to the information and plea. Assistant United States Attorney C. Troy Clark is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
