DOE Employee Doherty Indicted for Bribery Attempt

BOSTON – In a stunning turn of events, Edward Doherty, 34, a Security Specialist with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), faces federal charges for alleged bribery attempts to secure government contracts.

Doherty, from Washington, D.C., and Weymouth, Mass., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on counts of honest services fraud, payment of illegal gratuities, and bribery of a public official. He was arrested on July 1, 2025, and is set to appear in federal court at a later date.

The indictment reveals that Doherty, who worked as a Security Specialist until February 2025 when he joined the deferred resignation program, started MAE Systems, LLC (MAE) just months before joining the DOE. In February 2025, he is accused of offering money to a fellow DOE employee in exchange for securing contracts for MAE.

It is alleged that Doherty agreed to pay at least $10,000 to the DOE employee between February and June 2025, with two downpayments totaling $2,500 made in June. The offense was reported by the DOE employee, leading to Doherty’s arrest.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley echoed a stern warning: “Federal contracts are not for sale. Bribery corrodes trust and we will not tolerate it.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks added, “Doherty is accused of trying to generate business through what we believe to be blatant bribery.” The Department of Energy’s Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Lewe Sessions, emphasized the commitment to eradicating corruption in federal service.

The charges against Doherty carry potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison, fines totaling $250,000, and supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay is prosecuting the case. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.