Another corruption scandal has erupted inside the federal contracting world.
The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that two Florida defense contractors were arrested and charged in what prosecutors describe as a bribery and major fraud conspiracy that allegedly corrupted the competitive procurement process for a Department of War technology innovation project in the Pacific.
According to the DOJ, Leonard Pick, 62, of Palm Beach Shores, and Brian Kent, 59, of Tampa, allegedly orchestrated a scheme involving bribery, fraudulent contracting practices, and manipulation of the bidding process tied to the U.S. Army Pacific Command’s Hawaii-Pacific Innovation Campus, a project intended to serve as a hub for testing cutting-edge military technologies.
Federal prosecutors say the alleged fraud struck at the heart of America’s defense procurement system.