ALEXANDRIA, VA – Wesley Aaron Struble, 49, a U.S. citizen currently residing in Batangas, Philippines, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to four years for his central role in a brazen government contract kickback scheme. The scheme cost the U.S. Department of State over $3.4 million, prosecutors revealed today.
Court documents detail how Struble, while working as a contractor in Iraq in 2011 and 2012, exploited a real estate lease deal. Employed initially by Company B, Struble discovered Company A was seeking property to lease for a State Department contract. Knowing Company B already leased property from Company C for $124,000 monthly, Struble saw an opportunity. He transitioned to Company A and conspired with associates of Company C to inflate the lease price to a staggering $665,000 per month.
The conspiracy was simple: overcharge the State Department, then pocket the difference. Struble and another manager at Company A successfully pushed the inflated lease through, and in return, received at least $390,000 in cash kickbacks from Company C associates. The money wasn’t just deposited; Struble actively concealed it, shipping packages of cash – even stashing funds *inside stereo speakers* – to family members in the United States. He also directed deposits into accounts designed to evade detection. The State Department, ultimately footing the bill, was left holding a $3.4 million loss.
U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema didn’t just hand down a prison sentence. Struble was also ordered to pay approximately $3.4 million in restitution, attempting to recover the stolen funds. But recovering the full amount remains uncertain. The scheme highlights the vulnerability of government contracts to predatory schemes and the lengths criminals will go to conceal ill-gotten gains.
Struble wasn’t working alone. Jose Rivera and Emil Popescu, two of his co-conspirators, are also facing charges. Rivera, indicted on March 30, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a jury trial on August 7. Authorities are currently seeking the extradition of Emil Popescu from Romania to face charges in connection with the scheme.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia, alongside Steve A. Linick, the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian D. Harrison and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen prosecuted the case. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who exploit government contracts for personal gain will be held accountable.
Related Federal Cases
- Emil Popescu Sentenced in $3.4M State Dept Kickback Scheme · Maryland
- Brown Gets 75 Months for Exploiting the Homeless in Check Scam · Washington
- Fazel Gets 8 Years for Fraud & Gun Lie · Washington
- MD Man Gets 100 Months for $42M Tax Refund Scam · Maryland
- ‘Red Terror’ Torturer Negussie Habteyes Gets 3 Years in Prison · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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