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Contractor Sentenced in Government Fraud Scheme
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Michael Allen Braun, a 54-year-old contractor from Forest Lake, Minnesota, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in a government contract fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Braun and his co-conspirator, United States Air Force Master Sergeant Cody Boone Covert, 43, of Fort Walton Beach, conspired to obtain a contract from the United States Air Force by bribing Covert. Braun, who owned the company Trans Global Storage Solutions, agreed to provide Covert with 45% of the profit from the contract proceeds if Covert ensured that Trans Global won the contract.
Covert submitted a request to purchase specialized equipment and was chosen to evaluate each proposal for technical acceptance. He recommended that the Trans Global proposal be accepted, and the company was awarded the $126,300 contract. Braun and Covert split the proceeds.
U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova said, “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to upholding the law by exposing corruption and pursuing justice for those lawbreakers who abuse their authority and positions of trust.”
Special Agent-in-Charge Wendell W. Palmer of the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations stated, “This was a great outcome for the investigation and prosecution of those who would do damage to the integrity of the U.S. Air Force acquisition process.”
The case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Ustynoski prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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