A Virginia defense contractor was ordered Tuesday to pay a criminal fine of $2.25 million for its role in a scheme to bribe a former San Diego-based Navy civilian employee.
Cambridge International Systems admitted in a plea agreement earlier this year that through its former executive vice president Russell Thurston and another unnamed employee, the Arlington-based company offered various gifts to James Soriano, who worked as a contracting officer's representative at the Naval Information Warfare Center in San Diego.
Prosecutors said that in exchange for helping defense contractors like Cambridge obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts, Soriano accepted free meals, jobs for family members and friends, and tickets to major sporting events.
The U.S. Attorney's Office argued that with Soriano's help, Cambridge was awarded two task orders, one of which included more than 70 projects.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
The government obligated around $132 million for those task orders, but only about $1.6 million was paid out before the bribery scheme was discovered, prosecutors said. That money was forfeited by Cambridge as a result of the plea deal and the company has been placed on a two-year probationary period, prosecutors said.
Soriano pleaded guilty to federal charges and is set to be sentenced next year. Thurston was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery and is awaiting trial.
