Okay, okay. Government procurement officials have been corrupt since the beginning of time. It happens everywhere; America is no exception. Stories like this one…
A Utah federal judge sentenced a former U.S. Department of Defense procurement official involved in an alleged bribery and fraud scheme with foreign military aircraft purchases to 24 months in prison, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.
…hardly raise eyebrows. $185,000 to tip off government contractors and to give them favorable treatment? Ho-hum.
But details like THIS one certainly fire the synapses:
Mendez and Sylvester Zugrav allegedly used code names, covert email addresses and password-protected computer documents to conceal the scheme. In the secret communications, Mendez was called “Chuco” and Sylvester Zugrav used the name “Jugo,” while cash was referred to as “literature,” according to the DOJ.
Oh boy! I love this idea. Maybe something like this?
“Dear Chuco, the lowest bid on the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft is $180 million dollars. As you may recall, I am a great lover of literature. Please send me ALL of my literature via FedEx as soon as you can. Love, Jugo.”
What would the response be?
“Dear Jugo, Thank you for the information. We have submitted our bid at $170 million. Could you please place our contract on the top of the pile? By the way, we recall how much you LOVE literature. We have sent via FedEx one hundred and eighty-five thousand pieces of literature. The literature is unmarked and in small, easy-to-read denominations.”
The two will now have 15 to 24 months in the “library” to think about their crime.
Previous entries in our Who’s Cheating America? series:
Jacke Wilson 