1 hour ago
3
A erstwhile U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant pleaded blameworthy this week to national crimes successful a strategy that defrauded the Air Force of $37 cardinal and progressive channeling bribes to a nationalist authoritative nicknamed the "Godfather," national prosecutors said.
Texan Alan Hayward James, 51, pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud, bribery, and conspiracy to rig bids successful the District of Hawaii and elsewhere.
U.S. Department of Justice officials said successful a connection Thursday that from astatine slightest 2016 until 2025, James, who was liable for drafting IT contracts for U.S. Air Force installations crossed the Pacific, inflated the materials and labour costs successful those contracts.
James past collaborated with co-conspirators to ligament funds to assorted ammunition companies and wage mendacious salaries and perks to individuals nicknamed "The Godfather" and "The Godmother." In 1 lawsuit successful 2023, helium paid for a co-conspirator's all-expenses-paid, two-night enactment astatine a luxury edifice connected the North Shore of Oahu.
"Through this bid-rigging scheme, the suspect not lone stole from American taxpayers and harmed companies seeking to vie honestly for authorities contracts, helium besides yet harmed indispensable subject services designed to support our federation harmless by diverting resources distant from different services," said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii.
According to national prosecutors, James tracked the excess funds from authorities contracts successful ledgers. Various amounts were sent to ammunition companies, and James directed those companies to marque payments oregon supply "salaries" to himself, his ain household members, and the household members of different co-conspirator—payments which helium tracked utilizing a bid of codification names.
James nicknamed himself "Al Capone" successful the ledgers. His parents had the codification names "Capone M" and "Capone D."
Other codification names successful the ledger included the "Godfather" and the "Godmother." Annual payments varied from astir $10,000 to $200,000.
The recipients did not see enactment required by the contracts, contempt receiving "salaries" oregon payments from co-conspirator companies related to those contracts.
CBS News reached retired to James' lawyer for comment.
James agreed to wage restitution of astatine slightest $1,451,656.80 to the U.S. government.
In:
English (US) ·