April 15, 2009

DEFENSE CONTRACTOR SENTENCED TO PRISON IN SPAWAR BRIBERY SCHEME

United States Attorney Karen P. Hewitt announced that Pamela Banks was sentenced today in federal court in San Diego by the Honorable Larry A. Burns to serve 24 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, based on her guilty plea on August 5, 2008, to bribing a public official employed by the United States Navy in return for government contracts.

According to court documents, an unnamed Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) employee proposed to Banks in 2005 that he would ensure that Banks was hired to perform work required under government contracts if, in exchange, Banks paid the SPAWAR employee regular cash payments equaling thirty percent of Banks’ earnings. Banks agreed, and formed her own business, Advance Technical Solutions, which she operated from her home. On several occasions between the fall of 2005 and the spring of 2008, Banks’ company was hired by Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, a large San Diego-based company, as a subcontractor. Banks admitted to paying the SPAWAR official, or his spouse, cash bribes totaling between $70,000 and $120,000.

United States Attorney Hewitt praised the hard work of the agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation for their efforts in this public corruption investigation.

DEFENDANT Case No. 08cr2367-LAB
PAMELA BANKS

SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Title 18, United States Code, Section 201(b)(1)(A) - Bribery

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation Defense Criminal Investigative Service Naval Criminal Investigative Service Internal Revenue Service

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For more information on federal criminal defense law, contact the Law Offices of Joseph Shemaria of Los Angeles, California.