USAID Fraud: Guilty Pleas Filed
- Agency for International Development (USAID) official, Roderick Watson, and three corporate executives have pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a massive fraud and bribery scheme.
- Watson, a former USAID contracting officer, admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for influencing the award of contracts.
- The three executives,Walter Barnes of PM Consulting Group (Vistant),Darryl Britt of Apprio,and Paul Young,a subcontractor,also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery.
A former USAID official and three corporate executives were found guilty in a sprawling $550 million fraud and bribery scheme, a major blow to public trust.Roderick Watson,a former USAID contracting officer,admitted to accepting bribes including NBA tickets and cash in exchange for government contracts. The scheme, which spanned years, involved at least 14 contracts. Federal authorities are cracking down, with Watson facing up to 15 years in prison.News Directory 3 reports on this corruption scandal, detailing the extensive damage to USAID programs. The companies involved,Apprio and vistant,have admitted liability. Sentencing dates are set. Discover what’s next as the examination unfolds.
Former USAID Official Pleads guilty in $550M Bribery Scheme
A former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) official, Roderick Watson, and three corporate executives have pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a massive fraud and bribery scheme. The decade-long scheme involved at least 14 contracts totaling more than $550 million.
Watson, a former USAID contracting officer, admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for influencing the award of contracts. According to court documents, the bribes included cash, laptops, NBA tickets, wedding expenses, mortgage down payments, cell phones, and even jobs for relatives.
The three executives,Walter Barnes of PM Consulting Group (Vistant),Darryl Britt of Apprio,and Paul Young,a subcontractor,also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. Barnes and Watson further defrauded a small business investment company by falsely claiming a strong working relationship with USAID to secure a credit agreement for Vistant.
Watson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Barnes, Britt, and Young each face up to five years.Sentencing for Watson is scheduled for Oct. 6. Britt will be sentenced July 28, Young on Sept. 3, and Barnes on Oct. 14.
Apprio and Vistant have admitted criminal liability and entered into three-year deferred prosecution agreements.As part of the agreements, the companies must cooperate with the Justice Department, implement compliance and ethics programs, and provide progress reports.
“The defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers through bribery and fraud,” said matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated,” said Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG).
“Watson exploited his position at USAID to line his pockets with bribes in exchange for more than $550 million in contracts,” said Chief