7 people charged with $350 million in government fraud
However, the Indictment alleges that the defendants hid the fact that construction companies were not controlled by minorities, veterans, women or the disabled in order to receive the lucrative contracts.
Thomas Brock, Jerry Eddins, Harry Michael White, Cory Adams, Tory Brock and Alfonza McCutchen were charged with conspiracy to defraud the government in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 371. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is a fine of $250,000 and imprisonment for 5 years. Thomas Brock, Jerry Eddins, Harry Michael White and Amanda Sauls were also charged with wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 1343. The maximum penalty the defendants could receive for wire fraud is 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
Two companies, Automatic Cash L.L.C. and EEC L.L.C. were also charged with major fraud against the United States in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 1031. The maximum penalty the companies could receive for that charge is a fine of $10,000,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General (OIG), United States Department of Agriculture-OIG, Department of Energy-OIG, United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Defense Contract Audit Agency, and Veterans Affairs OIG and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson of the Columbia office for prosecution.