Where there's rats, you'll often find snakes, and vice versa.
A supervisor for a Fort Gordon subcontractor accused of soliciting a kickback was indicted by a federal grand jury Monday.
Michael Craig Waters is charged with one count of soliciting a kickback, a crime punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. An arraignment has not been set yet.
Mr. Waters is free on bond.
According to an affidavit by FBI Special Agent Brian Ozden, authorities first learned Sept. 29 some fraudulent activity might be going on at the base.
Alvin Johnson, the owner of Professional Boiler Services, told an investigator he was called Aug. 23 to provide an estimate to repair a boiler at the military base.
After examining the boiler, Mr. Waters approached him and pressed for a verbal estimate on repairs, according to the agent's affidavit.
Agent Ozden noted that Mr. Waters was a supervisor for IAP World Services, a subcontractor of Akima Facilities Management, a prime contractor for Fort Gordon.
Mr. Johnson told the investigator that he tried to put off Mr. Waters so he could prepare a written estimate after checking prices of necessary parts. But Mr. Waters pressed and Mr. Johnson said he threw out a figure -- $30,000, according to court documents.
Mr. Waters allegedly told Mr. Johnson to increase the estimate to $40,000 and they would split $10,000, the FBI agent's affidavit reads.
The actual written estimate Mr. Johnson prepared was just more than $4,000. But allegedly Mr. Waters prepared purchasing documents that indicated the price was more than $7,000, according to court documents.
Mr. Johnson told the investigator Mr. Waters offered to evenly split the extra $3,000 or so. According to the FBI agent's affidavit, investigators taped a telephone conversation between the two men.
According to the affidavit, Mr. Waters repeated the kickback plan, saying usually he got cash for such deals.
Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
Where there's rats, you'll often find snakes, and vice versa.
kudos to Johnson for reporting it and not taking the cash.
What a [filtered word]. I wonder what his field of, for lack of a better word, expertise is.? If he had any experience he should have know that $30,000 was way too high for that particular project. Then again, if he was a smart person, he would probably be still ripping the taxpayers off.
How many of our tax dollars end up as "kickbacks"? It's ridiculous to allow one man this much purchasing power. It appears Mr. Johnson's contract was much more valuable to him than a little extra cash. Walk the line Mr. Waters.
In this era of contracting and subcontracting so much for the government, I wonder how much of this goes unreported?
Stealing tax payer money;now , that deserves banishment as opposed to acting on teenage impulses and natural instinct like the Harlem girl. Ridiculous,but then that would expose corrupt politicians to severe penalties and they wouldn't even entertain enacting such legislation!!
If you take a good look at what the government spends on contractors acorss the board it is ridiculous. They are trying replace as many civil service as they can with contractors and they are not saving money but spending more. These contractors are making alot more than GS employees and plus they get 401K's and health insurance. Our goverment really needs to open it's eyes wide.............there is probably alot of this going on that is never reported.
WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY IDIOTIC REMARK!!! GS (civil service) employees make a LOT MORE than contractors. Why do you think most contractors at Ft. Gordon keep applying for the civil service jobs? I'm one of them! I want more pay for less work. It is the American way.
5:00smwhr, the contractors are cheaper in the long run as the government does not have to pay their retirement, health care or life insurance during their contract or when they retire as they do civil servants. They are often retired or former military who have a particular expertise needed by the government, especially the military. BTW, I was civil service who worked with these people and they are worth the money.
this guy is no different than the CEO's and welfare people that get checks every week from our stupid [filtered word] government. He just met an honest man this time ---
Shamrock you may be a contractor looking for civil service just as I am sure alot of contractors are but more for job security than for more pay. There are alot of contractors that take big cuts in pay to get a civil service job. I am a GS employee and I know a whole lot of contractors who make a lot more than I do for doing a similar job, plus they have insurance and a 401K. And to your remark Jack, I never said they are not worth what they get paid, I am sure they work hard, no where in my comment did you hear me say that. Ask some union reps who have done much research on this subject and have proof that in the long run the government does not save with contractors. Our government has long been known to spend money in careless ways.
This is a perfect example of a "WIN-WIN" situation if ever there was one. I wonder what ever happened to the contracting office at Ft G? I guess it was cheaper to subcontract the subcoontractors or something! I just wonder who is now doing the inspactions to assure quality and safety, probably another subcontractor!!
A contractor that would estimate a job would cost $30,000 and it was really $4,000? There's more to this story than what is being told.
As someone who personally knows the contractor, I can say without any doubt at all that he was involved in it up to his ears and probably cut a deal to avoid being jailed. This contractor has been doing the same thing for years with companies, such as buying cars and trucks for them and adding it into the price of a job. Also go ask the IRS what came up in their investigation of this contractor as well? Like it was said earlier a crook lays with crooks and believe me this contractor is a CROOK.
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