Villages Resident Indicted for Bribery

Federal authorities believe four retired Army National Guard colonels, including one in The Villages, used bribery to obtain millions of dollars worth of Army National Guard marketing, retention and recruitment contracts.

After retiring from the Army National Guard, the 67-year-old Villages resident, and the other three men held equal shares in Military Personnel Services Corporation in Falls Church, Virginia. According to a federal indictment, the company provided professional management, administrative and support services to the federal government, at one time having more than 1,600 contracted employees.

The Villages man and the other three men are accused of bribing an active-duty Army National Guard colonel to steer at least $5.5 million worth of contracts to MPSC. Payments to this colonel were allegedly disguised as “bonus” or “incentive” pay that were paid to the colonel when he retired and joined MPSC last year, according to the indictment.

The active-duty colonel also received cash, lunches and employment of family members during this time. In September, that man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery of a public official.

All of the men are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, one count of bribery of a public official, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and five counts of honest services fraud.

According to the indictment, the government intends to seize three houses the man owns in The Villages on Red Hill Road, Bainbridge Lane and Fairwinds Place and another he owns in North Carolina, along with cash in multiple bank and trust accounts.

Bribery is legally defined as the giving or promise of an item of value or service to a public official or witness in order to influence their actions. Acts of bribery often include the following:

• Money
• Services
• Items of Value

If you are found guilty of bribery, this is considered a felony and court-issued penalties could include years behind bars and hefty fines. You will also have a stain on your criminal record that could cause significant damage to your reputation.

As a white collar crime, a bribery charge will not only affect your future, but it can damage your business relationships. Your best defense from a bribery charge is to seek representation from a Villages White Collar Crime Lawyer at Whittel & Melton. For a free initial consultation to learn more about how we can help you, please call us today at 352-369-5334 or contact us online.