Bribing for Government Contracts Lands Defense Contractor in Hot Water
A federal grand jury in San Diego has returned an indictment charging Cask Technologies, LLC and former company executive Mark Larsen with bribing a government employee to win lucrative government contracts. The indictment alleges that Larsen and his subordinates at Cask gave former Naval Information Warfare Center employee James Soriano various things of value, including expensive meals, golf outings, and full-time jobs for Soriano’s close family friend and immediate family member.
According to court records, Soriano took official action to benefit Cask, including steering non-competitive small business contracts to Cask and its “family” of companies, allowing Cask employees to draft procurement documents, and allowing Cask to “ghost write” emails and official government correspondence.
Soriano also agreed to “create & award” a $50 million supposedly competitive contract for services to Cask. To conceal their activities, Larsen, Cask, and Soriano failed to disclose organizational conflicts of interest in relation to their contracting efforts and that Cask was affiliated with other companies in its “family” of companies.
“Defense contracts support our military, and as such play an important role in keeping us all safe,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “Allowing bribery and corruption to dictate who obtains those important contracts undermines the system and dishonors our defense operations.”
Larsen and Cask Technologies are accused of feeding their own greed by knowingly corrupting the government’s acquisition process and some government officials at the expense of our nation’s warfighters and taxpayers.
James Soriano has already pleaded guilty to multiple bribery schemes, including facts related to his relationship with Larsen and Cask. He is scheduled to be sentenced in May 2025.
The indictment is a constructive step toward accountability in this ongoing multi-year investigation.
Related Federal Cases
- Dumitru Martin, Bribery of USAF Contracting Officer, California 2023 · California
- Luis Aguinaga, Bribery Scheme, California 2024 · California
- Michael Kimbrew, Bribery and Attempted Extortion, California 2024 · Virginia
- Felecia Edna Taylor, Bribery of Public Official, California 2024 · California
- Paul O. Paradis, Utility Bribery, California 2024 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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