Federal prosecutors say a Palm Beach County executive and a Tampa consultant teamed up to bribe a U.S. Army employee, then tucked the payoff into padded government contracts tied to a Honolulu innovation lab. The indictment names Leonard Pick, 62, of Palm Beach Shores, and Brian Kent, 59, of Tampa, and alleges they funneled money through subcontracting work and a drafted memorandum of understanding that handed a contractor unusually broad control over the project. Authorities say the setup diverted taxpayer dollars intended for the Hawaii‑Pacific Innovation Campus and its Pacific Innovation Center.
DOJ task force leading the case
The case is part of the Justice Department's procurement‑fraud enforcement work, overseen by the Antitrust Division's Procurement Collusion Strike Force. The U.S. Department of Justice describes the strike force as a cross‑agency effort focused on uncovering and prosecuting bid‑rigging, bribery and other schemes that drive up the cost of public contracts. Department officials have said that rooting out conduct that distorts competition for government contracts remains a top priority for the Antitrust Division.
What prosecutors allege
According to an indictment unsealed this week, Pick and Kent are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and major fraud against the United States, one count of bribery, one count of major fraud and one count of wire fraud, while Kent faces an additional major‑fraud count. As reported by WPBF 25 News, prosecutors allege that from January 2021 through October 2022 the two conspired to pay a U.S. Army employee $1.25 million over five years and to disguise that payment by inflating contract prices. The filing also alleges that Kent caused inflated contract costs that included about $680,000 in payments to a consulting company he controlled, and that Pick helped draft an April 2021 memorandum that gave an Indiana‑based subcontractor substantial control over the Innovation Lab's development and operations.
How the innovation lab figures in the case
The alleged scheme centers on work connected to the Hawaii‑Pacific Innovation Campus and its Pacific Innovation Center, a Department of Defense backed project created to give vendors a central site to showcase and test new technologies for potential military use. U.S. Indo‑Pacific Command and related military pages describe such innovation labs as hubs for rapid evaluation and prototyping of commercial technology, which tend to draw in contractors, government officials and researchers. Prosecutors say the project's contracting and oversight structure created openings that, according to the indictment, were used to steer work and conceal improper payments.
Local connections and penalties
Court filings identify Pick as the chief strategy officer for an Indiana‑based company that subcontracted on United States Army Pacific contracts and Kent as a Tampa resident who later founded a government‑contracting consulting firm, according to WPBF 25 News. The indictment states that if convicted, the defendants could face decades in federal prison, substantial fines and forfeiture of any property and proceeds tied to the alleged scheme. WPBF reports that investigators built the case after reviewing contract records and communications, and that the station reached out to Pick's attorney for comment.
What’s next
The indictment is an accusation, and Pick and Kent are presumed innocent as the matter moves through federal court. The Justice Department's procurement strike force has in recent years intensified its focus on contracting crimes and says it will continue to pursue cases it believes harm taxpayers and fair competition in public purchasing. Initial court appearances and additional filings are expected as the federal case progresses.
