Darrel Fitzpatrick, who also went by the name Patrick Fields, pleaded guilty on January 21 to Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 201(b)(1). Sentencing is set for April 29, 2021.
Fitzpatrick faces up to five years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.
According to court papers, in 2019:
- Fitzpatrick was a senior account manager at a bus brokerage company in Atlanta that provided transportation to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
- That same year, Fitzpatrick started a competing transportation brokerage company called National Charter Express.
- Fitzpatrick agreed to pay kickbacks to Erik Martin, a civilian employee of the Marine Corps Reserves, in exchange for Martin directing contracts to the company where he worked and, subsequently, to National Charter Express.
- The conspiracy resulted in at least $2,000,000 in transportation contracts being corruptly awarded to companies associated with Fitzpatrick.
- In exchange for the contract awards, Fitzpatrick wired and attempted to wire Martin over $250,000 in bribes.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and the United States Secret Service investigated this case.
Also see “Federal Employee Pleads Guilty to Taking $250K in Bribes over Military Transport Contracts” at: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/01/06/guilty-plea-military-transportation-bribery-case.html
John Winslett of Bristol, Rhode Island, was sentenced on Jan. 15th to 70 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
The USAID contracts were for the procurement of food and supplies that would ultimately be provided to those affected by various humanitarian crises, including refugees displaced by the conflict in Syria.
Elmer Baker of Gulf Breeze, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute and four counts of wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.
Ronnie Simpkins of Maryland pled guilty to the charge in December of last year.
Simpkins admitted that, for approximately six years between 2011 and 2017, he accepted cash, meals, and furniture from two Company A officials to use his position to help Company A maintain its GSA Schedule contract. Simpkins admitted to meeting the Company A officials over a dozen times at various restaurants in Northern Virginia, the Company A officials’ residences, and other places, often outside of normal GSA business hours and on weekends. At these meetings, the Company A officials treated Simpkins to meals and gave him cash totaling “thousands of dollars into the teens.” In July 2016, Simpkins accepted more than $2,000 worth of furniture paid for by the officials. Simpkins admitted to taking more than $12,000 in cash and furniture from the Company A officials.
