Former Amtrak Director of Network Planning and Engineering, along with two vendors, face serious bribery allegations following an indictment that exposes a fraud scheme of notable breadth. The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania delivered the official charges against the trio. Richard Thompson, the ex-Amtrak official from Falls Church, Virginia, is accused of collaborating with vendors Shaun Hanrahan and Darren Hannam to reroute millions of Amtrak dollars toward their businesses in exchange for bribes.
The allegations suggest a calculated betrayal of trust on the part of Thompson, who was responsible for a crucial role in Amtrak's IT system designs and vendor selections. Hanrahan owned a management consulting and computer services firm called Awarity, LLC, while Hannam, alongside an unnamed co-schemer, ran Arch Technology, an IT enterprise. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, from 2015 through 2021, these individuals conspired by sharing proprietary Amtrak bid information, manipulating bids, and ensuring subcontracts landed snugly into the hands of the preferred vendors.
Furthermore, the indictment alleges the trio actively concealed their illicit communications using personal email accounts, a tactic to elude Amtrak and other authorities' detection. The scope of the work affected by these schemes was extensive, encompassing nationwide WiFi networks, procurement of IT equipment, audio-visual installations, and significant railway gate upgrade projects.
In return for his role in steering contracts to Hanrahan and Hannam's businesses, Thompson reportedly received quite a gamut of kickbacks, including cash payments, electronics, and even an automobile, among other premiums. "For example, Hanrahan provided Thompson with payments of cash totaling at least $97,000; Hannam and Co-schemer #1 provided Thompson with expensive electronics valued at approximately $9,500, including Apple computers," the indictment reads. Another co-schemer is said to have sweetened Thompson's deal with $40,000 in cash and luxury stays in Maryland.
All charged face multiple counts of honest services wire fraud through bribery and could receive up to 20 years per count if convicted. Hannam also faces a falsification of records charge after allegedly attempting to cover the tracks post-federal raids.
