A former official with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has admitted to lying to federal investigators about his involvement with a private company.
Brian P. Hearing, 43, of Falls Church, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to lying to federal agents to conceal his ownership of a private company he was inappropriately using his official position to promote.
According to the statement of facts filed along with his plea agreement, Hearing worked at NGA from 2011 to 2015 in its Innovision Directorate, an applied science and technology research group.
Hearing admitted that, during this time, he also co-founded a private company for the purpose of developing and commercializing a certain type of automated detection system.
Hearing also admitted that he inappropriately used his position with the NGA to promote the company.
In connection with his guilty plea, Hearing also admitted that, when questioned by federal agents about his involvement with the company, he lied to conceal his conflict of interest.
Hearing faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on November 13, 2015.
The guilty plea was announced by Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Leslie R. Caldwell, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Patricia C. Langford, Assistant Inspector General of NGA; and Paul Sternal, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office.
This case was investigated by the NGA Office of Inspector General and DCIS.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Nathanson of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Heidi Boutros Gesch of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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