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U.S. Navy Contractor Faces Bribery Charges

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Published May 8, 2017 2:16 PM by The Maritime Executive

A former contractor for the U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC) faces charges of bribery and fraud in an alleged contracting kickback scheme. Prosecutors contend that MSC contract employee Scott B. Miserendino Sr., 58, accepted kickbacks in exchange for helping a telecom company win business providing MSC's maritime satellite services. Miserendino allegedly engaged in this conspiracy over a 15 year period ending 2014, the same year that he was charged in connection with a different criminal conspiracy.

Joseph P. Allen, the owner of the telecom contracting company in question, faced related charges for conspiring to use Miserendino's influence at MSC. Allen has pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, and sentencing is scheduled for July. 

According to U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, the new charges against Miserendino include one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services mail fraud; one count bribery; and three counts honest services mail fraud. The charging documents contend that Allen and Miserendino conspired to use the latter's influence to obtain and expand a commission agreement with an unnamed telecom company. Miserendino allegedly advised MSC on the use of Allen's services; authorized Allen's company to set up ships' equipment to default to the use of Allen's associated satcom provider; and facilitated MSC payments to this satcom provider. In return for this assistance, Miserendino allegedly received half of Allen's commissions.

A previous case against Miserendino in 2014 contended that he and a second MSC employee engaged in a fraudulent scheme to direct funds to two other telecom contractors in Virginia in exchange for about $3,000 per month. In that case, Miserendino pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and acceptance of a bribe by a public official, and was sentenced to up to four years in prison plus three years of supervised release. Allen was not named in the indictment in the 2014 case.