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Bribes for SEPTA Contracts
A New Jersey couple, Nazik Modawi and Abboud Wali, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in bribing SEPTA officials to expedite a DBE certification.
The scheme involved Modawi and Wali, who owned and operated companies called Rides, Inc. and Safe Rides, LLC, providing transportation services for children and adults with special needs. They sought a DBE certification from SEPTA to obtain government contracts.
However, Modawi and Wali took their quest for contracts to a corrupt level, bribing a SEPTA employee with $10,000 in cash on two separate occasions. The total amount of the bribes was $10,000, and the SEPTA employee quickly alerted authorities.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, and SEPTA Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Denise S. Wolf prosecuted the case.
The Honorable Harvey Bartle III, a United States District Judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, sentenced Modawi to one year in prison and Wali to six months in prison for their roles in the bribery scheme. Bartle III noted that bribing public officials ‘strikes at the heart of our democracy.’
Modawi and Wali’s companies, Rides, Inc. and Safe Rides, LLC, have been involved in providing transportation services for vulnerable populations. The couple’s actions raise serious questions about their commitment to ethics and fairness in their business practices.
The sentencing of Modawi and Wali should serve as a warning to others who would seek to exploit the system through bribery and corruption. It is a reminder that the public’s trust in government and institutions is essential and must be protected at all costs.
At Grimy Times, we will continue to monitor this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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