ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Michael Brian Dunkel, 60, of Merritt Island, Fl., was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for fraudulently obtaining more than $4.4 million in government contract payments that should have gone to disadvantaged small businesses.
Dunkel was also ordered to pay a $12,500 fine and $2,960,697.37 in forfeiture.
Dunkel pleaded guilty on May 23, 2013, to one count of major government fraud.
According to court documents, Dunkel learned in 2005 that Keith Hedman, an executive at an Arlington-based security service consulting company referred to as Company A in court records, illegally controlled Company B, another Arlington-based security service consulting company.
Company B was a participant in the Small Business Administration (SBA) “Section 8(a)” program, which enables certain small businesses to receive contracts set aside for minority-owned and disadvantaged small businesses.
Dunkel admitted that he agreed to pay Hedman and Company B a 10-15 percent pass-through fee in exchange for Company B allowing Dunkel to fraudulently use its 8(a) status to obtain NASA and other U.S. government contracts.
Seven defendants, including Hedman and Hamilton, have previously been sentenced in connection with the government contracting fraud scheme and a related bribery scheme.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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