Recent corruption allegations in the defense sector have led to the indictment of former Navy civilian employee James Soriano and defense contractor Philip Flores of Intellipeak Solutions.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, the indictment accuses Soriano and Flores of engaging in a bribery scheme. Flores is believed to have offered Soriano free upscale restaurant meals, tickets to the 2018 World Series and the 2019 Super Bowl. In return, Soriano allegedly manipulated procurement documents to award contracts to Flores's company, even awarding contracts that were subcontracted to ineligible contractors.
U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath states via the USAO California, Southern press release that "Our nation’s military depends upon the honesty of its civilian workforce and the contractors who provide invaluable services to the men and women who help defend our country. Those who choose greed and corruption breach that sacred trust."
Several law enforcement agencies involved in this case have reiterated their commitment to weeding out corruption and maintaining the governments acquisition processes integrity. Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, described the indictment as a "critical first step". At the same time, Greg Gross, Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office, emphasizes "... exposing those who abuse the DON procurement process for personal gain."
