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Maryland Subcontractor Admits to Bribery Scheme Involving Federal Official
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Mt. Airy man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) official. Christopher Brackins, 51, who owned a general construction company, admitted to bribing a former GSA contracting officer’s representative, identified as Public Official A. The GSA is the federal agency responsible for managing federal property.
According to court documents, the bribery scheme occurred between 2018 and 2021. Brackins provided approximately $50,000 in money and other things of value to Public Official A. In exchange, Public Official A directed GSA projects to Brackins’s company. The scheme involved tactics such as fraudulently inflated bonuses paid to an employee, who then passed cash to the official, and payments made through an intermediary’s air-conditioning repair business. Brackins’s company allegedly earned an estimated $133,413 in profits from this illegal activity.
In addition to the bribery conspiracy, Brackins also pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and possession of a machine gun with an obliterated serial number.
Brackins faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the bribery conspiracy, up to three years of supervised release, a maximum of 20 years in prison for wire fraud, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for the firearm charge, each carrying up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 10, at 2 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Kelly O. Hayes, announced the guilty plea along with representatives from the Justice Department’s (DOJ) Criminal Division, the GSA Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office, the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG). U.S. Attorney Hayes commended these agencies for their investigative work.
This case highlights the commitment of federal authorities to combating corruption and financial fraud. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and its priorities, you can visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Tags: Maryland, bribery, GSA, General Services Administration, federal official, public corruption, wire fraud, machine gun, guilty plea, Department of Justice, FBI, GSA-OIG, DOD-OIG, DHS-OIG, criminal charges, financial fraud, Greenbelt