Press Release
For Immediate Release
May 20, 2009
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
Highlighting Recent FBI Public Corruption Investigations
Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top investigative priorities—behind only terrorism, espionage, and cyber crimes—and is the top priority of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. It can affect everything from how well our borders are secured and our neighborhoods protected to verdicts handed down in courts to the quality of our roads and schools. It also takes a significant toll on our pocketbooks by siphoning off tax dollars. It is estimated that public corruption costs the U.S. government and the public billions of dollars each year.
“Public corruption erodes public confidence and undermines the strength of our democracy. In investigating these crimes, the FBI can leverage tools such as undercover operations and electronic surveillance to root out those who betray the public trust,” said Assistant Director Kenneth W. Kaiser of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
The FBI’s Public Corruption Program also targets Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. To combat international corruption, the FBI has created a number of target-specific programs. For example, the International Contract Corruption Initiative addresses growing corruption within the global community. The International Contract Corruption Task Force addresses the systemic, long-term, multi-billion dollar contract corruption and procurement fraud crime problem linked to the war and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This multi-agency task force combines the efforts of the FBI, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Army Criminal Investigative Division, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Department of State.
A selection of recent press releases from 2009 related to public corruption investigations is listed below. For more information, visit www.fbi.gov.
* On 01/08/2009, a former executive at a California valve company pled guilty to bribing foreign government officials. More
* On 01/08/2009, a retired Army Major pled guilty in a bribery scheme involving Department of Defense contracts in Kuwait. More
* On 01/21/2009, Puerto Rico Senator Jorge De Castro Font pled guilty to honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion More
* On 01/23/2009, a former New York Power Authority employee was sentenced to 37 months in jail for a bribery and fraud scheme. More
* On 02/03/2009, the former finance director of a California valve company pled guilty to bribing foreign government officials. More
* On 02/05/2009, a government contractor was sentenced to 30 months in prison on bribery charges. More
* On 02/11/2009, Kellogg Brown & Root LLC pled guilty to foreign bribery charges and agreed to pay a $402 million criminal fine. More
* On 02/24/2009, a former employee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States was charged with corruption and tax violations. More
* On 03/05/2009, two UK citizens were charged by the United States with bribing Nigerian government officials to obtain lucrative contracts as part of a joint venture scheme involving Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. More
* On 03/05/2009, a former U.S. Tax Court official was sentenced for engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery. More
* On 03/06/2009, a former staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives was indicted on corruption charges. More
* On 03/10/2009, a former Congressional staffer pled guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. More
* On 03/12/2009, a former Alaska State Representative pled guilty to public corruption charges. More
* On 03/19/2009, a third defendant pled guilty to a money laundering scheme involving bribes for contracts at a Kuwait Army base. More
* On 03/26/2009, a former Michigan school official was sentenced to 46 months in jail for participating in a fraud scheme. More
* On 04/03/2009, a lobbyist was sentenced for destroying evidence in a public corruption investigation. More
* On 04/09/2009, two Department of Defense contractors were charged in a bribery conspiracy related to contracts in Afghanistan. More
* On 04/21/2009, a former military official pled guilty to participating in a bribery conspiracy involving a $206 million telecommunications contract in Korea. More
* On 05/06/2009, a Korean businessman was indicted in a bribery conspiracy and wire fraud scheme involving a $206 million contract. More
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