Gene Quarles, Bribery of a Public Official, Virginia 2013

A former high-ranking official with the United States Postal Service (USPS) has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from a Maryland-based information technology firm. Gene Quarles, 47, of Spotsylvania, Va., pleaded guilty on February 14, 2013, to bribery of a public official and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 17, 2013.

According to the plea agreement, Quarles worked as a purchasing specialist for the USPS since 2007. In this position, he oversaw, evaluated, and managed USPS contracts related to business mail entry and payment technologies. However, Quarles accepted bribes from AH Computer Consulting, Inc. (AHCC), an international information technology consulting firm based in Rockville, Md., in exchange for various impermissible contracting preferences and advantages.

The investigation found that AHCC employees paid Quarles numerous cash payments – totaling thousands of dollars – from April 2010 through June 2012. Quarles used these bribe payments to pay for bills, rent, and other living expenses. He also provided AHCC with confidential USPS contracting information, including other vendors’ proposals and labor rates, so that AHCC could tailor its bids to what other potential contractors were bidding.

In addition, Quarles forwarded private call-in numbers for conference calls between USPS officials, where official business was discussed, so that AHCC employees could anonymously listen in and gain an advantage over their competitors. Quarles also allowed AHCC employees to complete surveys, evaluations, and other review materials in his own name, so that AHCC could obtain additional government contracts.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chad Golder from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia’s Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit. Quarles’ sentencing is scheduled for May 17, 2013.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

Defendant: Gene Quarles

Criminal Charge: Bribery of a public official

City and State: Spotsylvania, Va.

Date: February 14, 2013 (plea), May 17, 2013 (sentencing)

Sentence: 15 years in prison (maximum penalty)

Dollar Amounts: Thousands of dollars in bribe payments

Company: AH Computer Consulting, Inc. (AHCC)

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