Taj Armon Reid, Conspiracy, Bribery, California 2018

Consultant Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Bribes

A former construction consultant from Oakland, California, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for conspiracy and receiving bribes. Taj Armon Reid, 48, received the sentence on [no date specified] from the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Court Judge.

Reid was found guilty of conspiracy and two counts of receiving a bribe or reward after a four-day jury trial in May 2018. The evidence presented in court showed that Reid accepted cash bribes from a developer in exchange for inside information on California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) construction projects.

The jury found that Reid conspired with Eric Worthen, a former CalVet employee, to receive the bribes. The evidence showed that Reid accepted $10,000 in cash in April and $2,000 in May in exchange for providing the developer with inside information on the CalVet projects.

Unbeknownst to Reid and Worthen, the developer was actually an undercover FBI source who was posing as a developer willing to pay bribes to obtain contracts with public agencies.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer ordered Reid to serve 3 years of supervised release.

Worthen, who pleaded guilty to his part in the conspiracy in August 2017, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 6, 2019.

The case was prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions and National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, with assistance from the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General.

Reid's crimes include conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and two counts of receiving a bribe or reward, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B).

Reid's sentence brings an end to a case that highlighted the corrupt practices of some individuals in the construction industry. The case serves as a reminder that public officials and business leaders who engage in corrupt practices will be held accountable.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/oakland-building-project-consultant-sentenced-12-months-prison-conspiracy-and-receiving