A 37-year-old man from Middlesex County, New Jersey, has admitted to lying about his educational background in his application for employment with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to a guilty plea entered in federal court.
Gulshan Manko, of Woodbridge, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of making false statements to federal agents.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Manko submitted an application, referred to as an SF-86 Form, for employment as a federal agent with the DEA. He submitted fictitious academic transcripts from two higher education institutions located in New Jersey and represented that he had graduated from these two academic institutions.
Manko made these statements in his employment application knowing that they were false in an attempt to gain employment with the DEA.
The count of providing false statements to which Manko pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, and special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, with the investigation leading to Manko’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Mateo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Manko’s actions are a stark reminder of the importance of honesty and integrity in the hiring process, particularly in law enforcement. The DEA relies on the trust and respect of the public to carry out its mission, and Manko’s deception undermines that trust.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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