Thomas E. Marler, Bid-Rigging, Guam 2023

A convicted bid-rigging scheme perpetrated by a former University of Guam professor has come to fruition with the sentencing of the principal conspirator, Thomas E. Marler.

Hagatña, Guam – On September 27, 2023, Thomas E. Marler, 62, of Piti, Guam, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment for Conspiracy to Restrain Trade, in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 3, Money Laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1957 and 2, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). The court also ordered 2 years of supervised release, a fine of $20,000, and a special assessment fee of $300.

The scheme, which occurred between November 2014 and June 2015, involved Marler conspiring with John Hobart “Bart” Lawrence and Jayanika Lawrence to rig bids for federally-funded project work pursuant to cooperative agreements between the federal government and the University of Guam. During this time, Marler was a Professor at UOG as well as the Principal Investigator for certain federally-funded cooperative agreements where his responsibilities included bidding out and awarding project work in compliance with UOG’s procurement process. However, instead of soliciting bids from the Guam community, Marler produced fictitious bids in order to make the procurement process appear legitimate and awarded the project work to Isla Paraiso, a company controlled by Marler, and to Sansar Consulting, a company owned by Jayanika Lawrence and operated with the help of John Lawrence, Marler’s longtime friend and associate. During the time of the conspiracy, the defendants fraudulently obtained over $200,000 in project work.

“A competitive bidding process promotes fairness among those seeking government funded projects,” stated U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson.  “It also ensures that taxpayers are getting the most value for their money.  The defendants’ actions undermined this process to the detriment of others, including UOG.  Our office applauds our federal partners for their hard work in bringing these defendants to justice.”

Marler used his position as principal investigator between the University of Guam and the Department of the Navy to manipulate governmental contracts that were favorable to Isla Paraiso, a company he controlled, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill.  “Marler and his associate, John Lawrence, conspired to restrain trade to benefit themselves and then Marler laundered the proceeds of this crime.  This investigation into the activities of Thomas Marler and his co-conspirators, John and Jayanika Lawrence, sends a clear message that the FBI, working with our federal partners in the Internal Revenue Service and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, will continue to hold individuals accountable when they violate federal laws and to protect the integrity of the federal government's contract process.”

The underlying investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Defendant Information: Thomas E. Marler, 62, Piti, Guam, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment, 2 years of supervised release, a fine of $20,000, and a special assessment fee of $300. Charges: Conspiracy to Restrain Trade, in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 3, Money Laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1957 and 2, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). Date: November 2014 to June 2015. Dollar Amount: Over $200,000 in project work. Location: Hagatña, Guam. State: Guam.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-gu/pr/former-university-guam-professor-and-co-defendants-sentenced-bid-rigging-scheme