Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

Judge imposes maximum sentences in Fort Gordon bid-rigging conspiracy

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Two men who took part in a bid-rigging and bribery scheme involving $54 million in contracts at Fort Gordon received the maximum prison terms of five years last Wednesday despite the recommendation from the U.S. Attorney’s office for a reduction in their sentence.

Calvin Lawyer, 60, and Dwayne O. Fulton, 59, admitted in November to their roles in the conspiracy that ran from 2008, when Lawyer retired as a full colonel and started his own business called Communications Research Engineering and Consultant Group with the goal of obtaining government contracts. But Lawyer didn’t need to compete with other contractors because he paid bribes to ensure he got no-bid contracts from his former subordinate Col. Anthony Roper.

After learning they were under investigation in 2016, Lawyer, Roper and his wife, Audra Roper, and Fulton, who worked for the large defense contractor Kratos Defense & Security Solutions inc., fabricated documents to try to cover their tracks.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.augustachronicle.com/news/20180523/judge-imposes-maximum-sentences-in-fort-gordon-bid-rigging-conspiracy

Read earlier posts about this case here:

U.S. Attorney for Southern District of GA announces results of recent procurement fraud prosecutions

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As part of a new emphasis on procurement fraud enforcement within the Southern District of Georgia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia has announced the results of a series of recent procurement fraud prosecutions.

Over the past several months, the strike force’s efforts resulted in five guilty pleas and twelve civil settlements, including the following publically available actions:

  1. United States of America v. Dwayne Fulton (1:17-CR-35)
  2. United States of America v. Calvin Lawyer (1:17-CR-35)
  3. United States of America v. Anthony Roper (1:17-CR-35)
  4. United States of America v. Audra Roper (1:17-CR-35)
  5. United States ex rel. Major Contracting Services, Inc. v. Military Training Solutions, LLC and ADCO Holdings, Inc., et al. (4:16-cv-115)
  6. United States of America v. Robert Obradovich (4:18-CR-47)

These prosecutions and civil settlements with the named individuals and entities, as well as others, stemmed from a wide variety of fraudulent conduct, including bribery of public officials, illegal kickbacks, illegal arrangements between large contracting companies and certified small or 8(a) businesses acting as “front” companies, and billing for services not rendered.  Each of the individuals who has pled guilty awaits sentencing.  The total financial recovery for the United States thus far has exceeded $7.4 million.  Several of these investigations remain ongoing.

“The Southern District of Georgia is the proud home of several major military installations that serve a vital role both in our national defense and the district’s local economy,” said United States Attorney Bobby L. Christine.  “Those who do business with these installations should be on notice – ripping off the United States will not be tolerated! This office will bring to bear the full weight of our resources to hold fraudsters accountable.”

The joint strike force that led to these convictions and settlements involved agents, investigators, and auditors from the Department of Justice, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Army Criminal Investigation Command (Major Procurement Fraud Unit), Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.  Significant and critical assistance was also provided by civilian and military personnel from the Army, Navy, and Air Force stationed at affected military installations.

“The American public expects the Department of Defense (DoD) to spend limited taxpayer funds efficiently and economically.  Bribery and other corrupt behavior by public officials and defense contractors diverts and wastes precious dollars intended to provide critical products and services for our Warfighters.  These results demonstrate the effectiveness of investigative efforts by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service to protect the integrity of all DoD programs,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, Southeast Field Office.

“These settlements stand as proof of the tenacity of our special agents,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “It is important for those who conspired to profit from illegal payments take responsibility for their actions. The settlements hold the defendants accountable and send a message to others that these violations will be taken seriously.”

“Our partnership with the joint procurement fraud strike force ensures fair and open competition for U.S. Government contracts which support the training and readiness of Marine Corps personnel,” said H. Andrew Goodridge, Special Agent in Charge, NCIS Carolinas Field Office.

“SBA OIG will aggressively investigate allegations of fraud involving SBA’s preferential contracting programs, to include false statements made to gain access to contracting opportunities set aside for small businesses,” said SBA OIG Eastern Region Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kupperbusch.  “SBA’s preferential contracting programs are intended to promote the economy and grow and develop small businesses across the nation.  I want to thank the U.S Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and hard work throughout these investigations.”

SBA’s General Counsel, Christopher Pilkerton said, “These successful prosecutions demonstrate the tremendous results achieved through the combined efforts of federal agencies to uncover and forcefully respond to procurement fraud.  SBA is strongly committed to identifying and aggressively pursuing instances of fraud perpetrated by those participating in SBA’s procurement programs.”

The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian T. Rafferty, Shannon H. Statkus, J. Thomas Clarkson, Matthew A. Josephson, and Jonathan A. Porter.  Any claims resolved by the civil settlement agreements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Each of the civil settlements resolved potential liability under the False Claims Act.  Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers can be entitled to a portion of the amount recovered by the United States.  The United States Attorney’s Office also reminds contractors that businesses and individuals that self-disclose potential violations can be eligible for significantly reduced penalties.

If you have any information regarding potential procurement fraud, please contact Assistant United States Attorney J. Thomas Clarkson at (912) 201-2601.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/southern-district-georgia-announces-results-recent-criminal-and-civil-procurement-fraud

FDA supervisor and local businessman charged in bribery scheme

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Elvis Gordon, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supervisor, and small business owner Ivan Ponder have been arraigned on bribery and conspiracy charges for using Gordon’s influence to divert FDA contracts to a company owned by Ponder.

“Gordon and Ponder allegedly carried out a kickback scheme that lined both their pockets with taxpayer money for nearly six years,” said U. S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Gordon is charged with violating the public’s trust by taking bribes in exchange for steering FDA business to Ponder.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court:

  • Elvis Gordon is the Senior Facilities Manager of the FDA field office in Atlanta, and in that role influences the selection of businesses that do various maintenance work at the FDA building in the Atlanta area.
  • From 2010 until 2016, Gordon allegedly used his position to direct work to P&E Management, a company owned by Ivan Ponder.
  • Ponder, in turn, gave Gordon a debit card tied to P&E’s bank account, which Gordon used for shopping sprees, vacations, and dining out.
  • On one occasion, Gordon used the debit card to pay for FDA business trip expenses, for which Gordon later sought reimbursement from the FDA.
  • P&E also purchased a Cadillac Escalade for Gordon and his wife.

Elvis Gordon, 51, of Marietta, Georgia, and Ivan Ponder, 38, of Hiram, Georgia, were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury on October 17, 2017.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges.  The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Internal Affairs.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/fda-supervisor-and-local-businessman-charged-bribery-scheme

 

Former Army officer charged with bribery and fraud in connection with Ft. Gordon contracts

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A retired Army colonel whose business company reportedly was used to commit bribery to obtain more than $20 million in government contracts has been charged with conspiracy.

A conspiracy charge was lodged Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 in U.S. District Court against Calvin Devear Lawyer that charges him with conspiracy, a crime punishable by up to five years.

According to court documents, Lawyer set up a company named Communications, Research, Engineering and Consultant Group before he retired from the Army after 20 years in February 2008. The purpose of the company was to try to win contracts with the U.S. government and private contractors.

But the company was used to bribe those responsible for awarding contracts and bid-rigging at Fort Gordon, according to the documents.

Keep reading this article at: http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/2017-10-03/former-army-officer-charged-conspiracy-bribe-and-commit-fraud-government-contracts

Former public transit executive charged with taking $500,000 in contract kickbacks

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A former senior manager of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has been charged with conducting a false invoice scheme that resulted in MARTA paying more than $500,000 for maintenance work that was never performed and for funneling most of the money back into his personal bank accounts.

According to U.S. Attorney John A. Horn, the former MARTA executive, Joseph J. Erves “was entrusted to safeguard the taxpayer funds used to run our public transportation authority, and instead he is charged with stealing a half million dollars to buy a Porsche and other high-end purchases. This is a classic case where a public official’s short-term gain in stealing from taxpayers comes crashing down and ends with criminal charges.”

“The federal investigation and resulting federal charges against Mr. Erves will hopefully send a message to others that such ill-conceived schemes to redirect corporate or public funds to their own accounts is a criminal act with tough consequences. The FBI would like to thank the MARTA Police and their investigators for their invaluable assistance in getting this matter advanced for prosecution,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.

MARTA is the principal public transportation operator in the Atlanta metropolitan area, providing fixed rail and bus service to more than 500,000 passengers per weekday. Formed in 1965, MARTA is a multi-county governmental agency with a 2016 annual budget of more than $880 million.

From 1993 to 2017, Erves worked for MARTA, ultimately serving as its Senior Director of Operations. In that position, Erves oversaw the maintenance of all of MARTA’s buses and rail cars and had the authority to approve payments up to $10,000 to vendors for work performed on behalf of MARTA.

Beginning in or about 2010, Erves retained three different vendors purportedly to perform maintenance projects for MARTA, including repairing brake testing equipment and fixing various MARTA tools and equipment. From approximately June 2010 to December 2016, Erves had fake invoices prepared on behalf of the three vendors for more than 40 maintenance projects for which no work was performed.

Erves then used the false invoices as bases to authorize payments to the three vendors. In many cases, Erves personally approved payments to the vendors knowing that the vendors had not performed any work for MARTA.

After being paid, the three vendors funneled most of the money received from MARTA into Erves’s personal bank accounts. Subsequently, Erves used the money deposited into his accounts to pay personal expenses, such as multiple purchases at high-end department stores and the purchase of a Porsche 911. Based on Erves’s authority and representations, MARTA paid the three vendors more than $500,000 for maintenance projects where no worked was actually performed.

Erves, 52, of Lithonia, Georgia, has been charged in a criminal information with one count of Federal Program Theft. Erves is expected to plead guilty to the charge shortly after arraignment.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the MARTA Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis and Alison Prout are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov(link sends e-mail) or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/senior-marta-executive-charged-false-invoice-scam-causing-marta-pay-500000-work-never

Contractor sentenced to prison for providing bribes in a contract fraud scheme

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Michael Allen Braun has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and $126,300 in restitution for “conspiracy to commit theft of honest services and wire fraud” and bribery of a public official.

In connection with the same case, co-conspirator Air Force Master Sergeant Cody Boone Covert was previously sentenced in February to 23 months in prison for conspiracy and bribery of a public official.

In January 2014, MSgt. Covert, 901st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron located at Hurlburt Field in Florida, was tasked by the Air Force with procuring specialized equipment in support of C-130 Special Operations Aircraft. Braun, who owned the company Trans Global Storage Solutions, conspired with Covert to obtain a contract from the Air Force. Prior to the solicitation of the contract, Braun agreed to provide Covert 45% of the profit from the contract proceeds, if Covert ensured that Trans Global won the contract. Covert submitted a request to purchase the specialized equipment. Because Covert was the requester of the equipment, he was chosen to evaluate each proposal for technical acceptance. Subsequently, Covert recommended the Trans Global proposal be accepted. After Trans Global was fraudulently awarded the $126,300 contract from the Air Force via Covert’s inside influence, Covert and Braun split the proceeds. Covert pled guilty on October 28, 2016, and Braun pled guilty on January 12, 2017.

“Corruption in the government procurement process damages the public trust and ultimately degrades the warfighting mission of the Department of Defense,” commented Special Agent-in-Charge John F. Khin, Southeast Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “DCIS, with our investigative partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, continues to pursue and bring to justice those contractors who defraud military programs, especially when it jeopardizes the safety of our brave men and women in uniform.”

The case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/federal-government-contractor-sentenced-prison-providing-bribes-government-contract

$20 million bribery, fraud indictment returned against military personnel at Fort Gordon

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An indictment returned by a federal grand jury accuses a Fort Gordon active-duty Army colonel, his wife and a former defense contractor employee of rigging bids to defraud the government of more than $20 million.

The indictment accuses Anthony Tyrone Roper, 55, Audra Roper, 49, and Dwayne Oswald Fulton, 58, of taking part in a bribery and kickback scheme from 2008. Col. Roper, his wife and others are accused of soliciting and accepting cash bribes in exchange for rigging the award of Army contracts.

The indictment further alleges that in an attempt to hide their bribery and fraud schemes, the Ropers and Fulton attempted to obstruct an official investigation into their criminal conduct.

Keep reading this article at: http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/2017-06-08/20-million-bribery-fraud-indictment-returned-against-military-personnel-fort-gordon

 

 

Technology company settles bid-rigging and contract kickback allegations for $1 million

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Justice Dept. seal - CopyThunderCat Technology, LLC, located in Virginia, has agreed to pay $1 million to settle civil False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Act, and Procurement Integrity Act claims relating to bid rigging and kickback schemes in connection with six government procurements.

The settlement resolves civil claims against ThunderCat relating to the criminal pleas entered by ThunderCat principal, co-owner, and general manager, Edwin Keith McMeans, and ThunderCat sales representative, Anthony Bilby.

Background

From September 2008 to February 2012, ThunderCat solicited or submitted inflated third party bids or “loser bids” during competitions for five government contracts and/or purchase orders awarded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on behalf of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and one government contract awarded by the General Services Administration (GSA).

In connection with one CBP contract, ThunderCat agreed to pay CPB employees 10 percent of ThunderCat’s profits on the contract in exchange for procurement sensitive independent government cost estimates prior to ThunderCat’s submission of its proposal.

The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil and Criminal Divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Offices of Inspector General for DHS and GSA.

Settlement Is Result of Allegations

It should be noted that the civil claims settled by this False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Act, and Procurement Integrity Act agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Criminal Case No. 1:15-cr-264 (Edwin Keith McMeans) and No. 1:13-cr-466 (Anthony Bilby).

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/thundercat-agrees-civil-settlement-bid-rigging-and-kickback-schemes

North Carolina construction company officials sentenced for DBE fraud

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U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. sentenced Boggs Paving, Inc. (Boggs Paving), its president and part-owner, Carl Andrew “Drew” Boggs, III, and four others on charges stemming from the illegal use of a disadvantaged business enterprise to obtain government-funded construction contracts, it was announced November 23, 2016.

Drew Boggs, 51, of Waxhaw, N.C. was sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release, and received a $15,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and money laundering conspiracy.  Kevin Hicks, 44, of Monroe, N.C., was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud USDOT and money laundering conspiracy.  Greg Miller, 61, of Matthews, N.C., was sentenced to 15 months in prison and two years of supervised release, Greg Tucker, 42, of Oakboro, N.C., was sentenced to two years of probation and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, and John Cuthbertson (a/k/a Styx Cuthbertson), 70, of Monroe, was sentenced to two years of probation, three of which will be served in home confinement, and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.  They each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud USDOT.  Judge Cogburn sentenced the company, Boggs Paving, to pay a $500,000 fine.  A fifth codefendant, Arnold Mann, 56, of Fort Mill, S.C., was previously sentenced to a term of probation, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud USDOT.

According to documents filed in the case, statements made in court and today’s sentencing hearings, from 2003 through 2013, Boggs Paving, Drew Boggs, and their codefendants engaged in a scheme by which they fraudulently obtained federally and state funded construction contracts by falsely certifying that a disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE), or a small business enterprise (SBE) would perform and be paid for portion of the work on those contracts.  The purpose of USDOT’s DBE program is to increase the participation of such businesses in federally-funded public construction and transportation-related projects.

According to court records, Boggs Paving and the codefendants used Monroe-based Styx Cuthbertson Trucking Company, Inc. (“Styx”), a road construction hauler and a certified DBE and SBE, to help obtain the government-funded construction contracts.  Court documents show that the codefendants took steps to conceal their fraud, including running payments for the work performed through a nominee bank account in Styx’s name and using magnetic decals bearing the “Styx” company logo to cover the “Boggs” logo on company trucks, among others.  According to court records, the majority of the money was funneled back to Boggs Paving and its affiliates, and John Cuthbertson, owner of Styx, received kickbacks for allowing his company’s name and DBE status to be used by Boggs Paving.

Court records show that from June 2004 to July 2013, Boggs Paving was the prime contractor on 35 federally-funded contracts, and was a subcontractor for two additional contracts, worth over $87.6 million.  Boggs Paving claimed DBE credits of approximately $3.7 million on these contracts for payments purportedly made to Styx.  Styx only received payments of approximately $375,432 for actual work on these contracts, court records show.

In court today, Judge Cogburn described the DBE program as laudable and emphasized the importance of deterrence in sentencing the defendants.

Former Georgia National Guard employee and two vendors sentenced in corruption scheme

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Raytosha Elliott, a former contracting official with the Georgia National Guard, and the owners of two vendor companies have been sentenced to federal prison for a corruption scheme wherein Elliott awarded contracts to the vendors in exchange for illegal kickbacks.

“Elliott took advantage of her position with the Georgia National Guard, and awarded no-bid contracts to her friends in exchange for illegal kickbacks,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn.  “She and two of her friends stole over $150,000 in funds that were intended to maintain defense facilities and instead spent the money on themselves.”

“The sentencing of these individuals to federal prison will not only hold them accountable for their greed based criminal conduct, but will also send a clear message to others that might consider a similar scheme.  The FBI will continue to work with its various law enforcement partners to ensure that those individuals engaged in these types of activities are identified, investigated and presented for federal prosecution,” said J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.

FBI Seal“Corruption at any level diminishes the hard work and dedication of the thousands of government employees who are dedicated to providing honest services to the American public,” stated Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, Acting Special Agent in Charge. “IRS Criminal Investigation stands committed to weed out individuals who misuse their job as a path to financial success by using greed and corruption.”

“This is a prime example of our determination, along with our fellow law enforcement agencies, to investigate allegations of criminal activity and corruption involving the National Guard and other DOD entities,” said Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit.   “Regardless of the ‘scope and size’ of the allegations, our CID Special Agents are committed to working side-by-side with other agencies to help eradicate this type of activity.”

“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of the DOD contracting process, including the GA National Guard,” said John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “This sentencing sends a message to individuals who fail to follow the rules that along with our other law enforcement partners, violators will be brought to justice.”

“Accountability of violators is paramount when dealing with public corruption.  GBI’s partnership with the FBI in the Public Corruption Task Force is essential for continued public trust in Georgia.  When those who violate the law and violate public trust are held accountable, and go to jail – if this occurs, it sends a clear message that public corruption is not acceptable in this state,” said Vernon Keenan, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

“We hope these sentences serve as a deterrent to those who desire to pilfer the state and federal governments’ coffers. We also believe this case exemplifies how multiple agencies can work together to achieve a common goal: to serve the public who depends on us to defend the integrity of government programs. As in this case, our office will remain dedicated to protecting taxpayers’ money by continuously pursuing fraud, waste, abuse and corruption within the executive branch of state government,” said Deb Wallace, State Inspector General, Georgia Office of the Inspector General.

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court:  From May 2007 through April 2012, Elliott worked for the Georgia Department of Defense, the state agency charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the Georgia National Guard.  Elliott worked as an Engineering Operations Manager at the Clay National Guard Center, located at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, in Marietta, Georgia.

In that position, Elliott worked with engineering firms to develop bid-ready construction projects, prepared bid documents, and oversaw no-bid purchase orders.  Under the rules governing the contracting process that Elliott oversaw, projects that cost less than $5,000 did not need to go through a competitive bidding process, allowing Elliott to award the contracts.  She certified that the work had been completed for those projects, and facilitated payment to the vendors who allegedly completed such projects.

Elliott awarded numerous contracts under $5,000 to vendor companies created by her friends and associates, including co-defendants Lakeysha Ellis and Angela Thicklin (f/k/a Angela Stanback Kinlaw).  In return, Ellis and Thicklin paid Elliott kickbacks, equal to 50% of the value of the contracts, for steering contracts to Ellis’ vendor company, Total Source Solution, LLC, and to Thicklin’s vendor company, 3M Construction LLC.

Elliott awarded Total Source Solution 17 contracts with a total value of approximately $75,000.  Elliott awarded 3M Construction 18 contracts with a total value of approximately $78,000.  The contracts were for a variety of services supposedly to be performed by the two companies, including electrical work, landscaping, and HVAC work.  But the work was never done.  Instead, the defendants split the money awarded under the contracts and spent it on personal items, including travel, meals, and merchandise.  As part of the scheme, Elliott owned a company named Tech Group Investments, LLC.  Ellis and Thicklin took money they received from the Georgia National Guard contracts, and paid kickbacks to Elliott through that company.  Elliott falsely certified that the work had been completed to facilitate payment by the Georgia National Guard.

Elliott and Ellis engaged in a similar fraud scheme from January 2009, through May 2011, when Ellis was an accountant at Baumueller-Nuermont Corporation, an industrial equipment company with offices in Atlanta.  Her job responsibilities included payroll and paying vendors.

While employed as Baumueller-Nuermont’s accountant, Ellis fraudulently funneled money to the defendants’ two sham companies, Total Source Solution and Tech Group Investments.  Ellis wrote corporate checks to Total Source Solution, signed her name on the checks, and forged the signature of the Vice President on the checks, to ensure that the checks could be negotiated.  Ellis recorded these payments in the check registry to reflect falsely that the checks had been issued to true vendors (such as American Express) when in fact they went to Ellis’ company.

As part of the scheme, Ellis also falsified employee records in the corporation’s payroll system to disguise payments to the defendants’ two companies.  Ellis created phantom employees by altering the names of real employees (by switching their first and last names) and slightly changing their Social Security numbers.  She then caused the payroll system to make fraudulent salary payments to Total Source Solution and Tech Group Investments for these new, non-existent employees.

Baumueller-Nuermont lost about $85,000 from this scheme.

Raytosha Elliott, 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday to two years, ten months in prison and three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $115,902 in restitution to the Georgia National Guard and $26,500 in restitution to Baumueller-Nuermont Corporation by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg.  Elliott was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to WebBank based on a fraudulent loan application she submitted to the bank in September 2013.  In that application, Elliott falsely inflated Tech Group Investments’ sales and gross receipts, and provided a fraudulent federal tax return in support of those figures, to obtain the loan. She was also ordered to perform 60 hours community service.

Lakeysha Ellis, 37, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced to nine months in prison and three years of supervised release, and three months of home confinement.  She was also ordered to pay $74,902 in restitution to the Georgia National Guard and $81,487.88 in restitution to Baumueller-Nuermont Corporation.  Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy.

Today, Angela Thicklin, 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, nine months in prison and three years of supervised release including ordered to pay $78,640 in restitution to the Georgia National Guard by Judge Totenberg.  Thicklin previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and Deputy Inspectors General of the State of Georgia Office of the Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. McClain prosecuted the case.

Source: http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/former-georgia-national-guard-employee-and-two-vendors-sentenced-corruption-scheme

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