Skip to main content

American Samoa Department of Education Official Pleads Guilty to Bribery Conspiracy

WASHINGTON - The director of the school bus division of the U.S. Territory of American Samoa’s Department of Education pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.

Gustav Nauer, 46, a resident of American Samoa, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry M. Kurren of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii.

As part of his guilty plea, Nauer admitted to participating in a scheme that began in late 2002 involving other American Samoa Department of Education employees as well as the owner and operator of a company that sold school bus parts to the American Samoa government. As part of the scheme, Nauer and other government officials arranged to order "phantom" bus parts that were never received by the government, as well as bus parts at inflated prices, from the company. In exchange, Nauer admitted that he and other government officials were paid approximately $300,000 in bribes from January 2003 until October 2006.

Nauer faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Timothy J. Kelly and Kathryn H. Albrecht of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

15 Gang Members Convicted on Conspiracy, Weapons Possession, Firearms Trafficking Charges Case Follows Recent Convictions of 137th Street Crew and East Harlem Narcotics Trafficking Organization

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced the results of the investigation and prosecution of one of Central Harlem’s most destructive criminal street gangs, referred to as “ONE TWENTY-NINE” or “GOODFELLAS/THE NEW DONS,” which terrorized the neighborhood surrounding West 129th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues. Thirteen members of the gang have previously pleaded guilty to importing, possessing, and using firearms over the course of the conspiracy.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY VANCE ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT OF SIX SUBCONTRACTING COMPANIES AND THEIR OWNERS IN MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR FRAUD

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictments of six subcontracting companies and their owners for colluding with LEHR CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION (LEHR) in a multimillion dollar scheme that defrauded numerous construction clients over the past decade. See, related story. The announcement comes one day after DA Vance announced LEHR and four executives were indicted on crimes including Enterprise Corruption, the New York State Racketeering law. GODSELL CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION and its owner ARTHUR GODSELL are charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. JT ROSELLE LIGHTING, INC. and its owner JAMES ROSELLE, LIBERTY CONTRACTING CORPORATION and its owners GEORGE FOTIADIS and KEVIN FOTIADIS, PJ MECHANICAL and its owner JAMES PAPPAS, SUPERIOR ACOUSTICS, INC. and its owner KENNETH MCGUIGAN, and SWEENEY & HARKIN CARPENTRY and its owner MICHAEL HAYES are charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree.[1] "The defendants in this case cheated clie...

DISTRICT ATTORNEY VANCE ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT OF 37 MEMBERS OF ORGANIZED CHECK FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING RING

Members of Conspiracy Stole from at least 30 Bank Accounts Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of 37 individuals in connection with a forged check and money laundering ring based in Brooklyn that compromised at least 30 bank accounts at JP Morgan Chase Bank (“Chase Bank”) and Citibank, and stole more than $150,000. All of the defendants are charged with Conspiracy, and the ringleaders are additionally charged with Grand Larceny, Money Laundering, and in some cases, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument and Identity Theft.[1]