Lida Amin, Bribery of a U.S. Air Force Contract Administrator, California 2013

In a shocking turn of events, Lida Amin, 40, of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Dublin, Calif., pleaded guilty today to conspiring to bribe a public official in furtherance of an ongoing effort to secure government contracts through graft.

According to the plea agreement, from 2007 to 2010, Amin engaged in a related scheme for which she is facing federal charges in Texas. In that scheme, she conspired to bribe a member of the U.S. Air Force who was serving in Afghanistan as a contracting officer. He awarded contracts to the conspirators in exchange for the promise of $30,000. In 2008, the contracting officer was paid $18,000, but the remaining $12,000 was still owed.

The charges to which Amin pleaded guilty today relate to a second round of contacts with the same contracting officer. In June 2012, he was working for the U.S. government as a civilian acquisition analyst (or contract administrator) in Afghanistan and contacted Amin to see if she was interested in working with government contracts again. Amin replied that she was and agreed to meet in Budapest, Hungary to talk.

The scheme involved the contract administrator assisting Amin to obtain as many new government contracts as possible. In exchange, she promised to make bribe payments to the contract administrator. In September 2012, Amin met with the contract administrator in Budapest. They discussed two upcoming contracts, the manner and amount of the bribe, and in addition to that amount, Amin would pay him an extra $12,000 to cover the debt that he was owed from 2008.

Lida Amin established companies and bank accounts in Afghanistan to receive the proceeds from government contracts. In July 2013, Amin, using the alias “Sabrina Samir” and acting through one of her companies, Striker Logistics, shipped contract goods, including medical clothing and linens, to Travis Air Force Base.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fremont Police Department. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Office of International Affairs and the Czech National Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Beckwith is prosecuting this case and the case in Texas.

Nabil Amin, Lida Amin's brother, is scheduled for a status conference in Sacramento on July 9, 2014. The charge against him is only an allegation; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. On June 17, 2014, Lida Amin is scheduled to plead guilty to the charges brought in the Northern District of Texas for the earlier bribery scheme. That hearing will be held in the federal courthouse in Dallas.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/guilty-plea-conspiracy-bribe-us-air-force-contract-administrator