Rita M. Starliper, 60, of Greensboro, pleaded guilty to a bribery scheme that saw her company receive a lucrative government contract worth millions of dollars.
According to court documents, Starliper, the owner and CEO of a government contracting firm, engaged in a bribery scheme with a former contracting officer for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), now known as the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
Between late 2014 and late 2016, Starliper, the BBG contracting officer, and others associated with Starliper’s company agreed to and did hire and pay the contracting officer’s relative for a job involving minimal work and that resulted in payments to the relative of more than $68,000.
In exchange, the BBG contracting officer took official actions that benefitted Starliper and her company, including the awarding of a professional staffing contract worth millions of dollars.
The BBG contracting officer also took steps to steer the procurement process and provide preferential treatment to Starliper’s company.
Starliper pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services mail fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5.
She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Department of State Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Litigation Counsel Edward P. Sullivan and Trial Attorney Jordan Dickson of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Kamel Smallwood, Bribery and Contraband Scheme, North Carolina 2022 · Washington
- Greg E. Lindberg, Public Corruption, Bribery, North Carolina 2023 · Washington
- Greg E. Lindberg, $1.45M Bribery Scheme, NC 2023 · Virginia
- Northern Virginia Businessman Pleads Guilty to $25,000 Bribery Scheme · West Virginia
- Lindberg’s Bribery Scheme Unraveled: Multimillionaire Found Guilty at Retrial · Virginia
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Public CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic Corruption