Former Fort Monmouth (NJ) Workers Charged With Providing No-Show Jobs

conspiracy to defraud the United States

I can think of a dozen Senators and a hundred Representatives who should be so charged. In the stead we will summarily reelect them all.

In New Jersey, and I thought they got rid of corruption there /sarcasm

Fort Monmouth is one of the bases slated for closing too. Wonder if this is related.

http://www.1010wins.com/pages/29843.php

excerpt:

Rzeplinski and Connie Davidson were accused of using their Fort Monmouth positions to arrange the no-show jobs at two companies that had contracts to provide information technology services to the Army at Fort Monmouth. The companies were not named in the indictment.

Kirsten Davidson got more than $125,000 from one company over three years, despite doing little or no work, after Rzeplinski caused a project to be awarded to that company in February 2002, the indictment charged.

She got about $156,000 from the second company, despite doing little or no work, in less than three years after Rzeplinski and her mother arranged for that company to get over a half-million dollars in government work, the indictment charged.

Rzeplinski is also accused of having the second company hire a company he created, R-ZED Engineering, as a subcontractor on its government work. Although R-ZED did no work, the second company was compelled to make payments totaling $151,500 from June 2002 to October 2005, the indictment charged.

Sounds like the good ole Clinton days. Isn't it amazing how, after he became president, all kinds of Arkansas companies were suddenly being named as winners of a myriad of govt. contracts? And we all know that Bubba is above getting kickbacks (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more).

All those wink, winks, nudge, nudges contributed to our WOT. If our administration doesn't come out and name them; then we are not in a real war.

My dad was stationed there when I was conceived...

And again post war (WW II, that is); I remember family picnics on post by the lake, and shopping at the PX...

I ran my best ever half marathon (1:20:02) there in the 80's...

And now as a real estate agent, I see huge development potential for public and private use there. Lots of waterfront to sell off to the rich folks, to help pay for some public uses.

As for the key topic, I remember guys whose highest aspiration was to be appointed to a building inspection postion in one of the north Jersey towns, so they could retire after 20 years with a government pension and move to the Florida place they bought with the bribe money...

Of course, the lesson is that civil "servants" have to be watched a little more closely (but, who is going to watch the watchers?).

:^)

Public Affairs Office

District of New Jersey

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/publicaffairs/NJ_Press/break.html

________________________________________________________________________

Public Affairs Office: 973-645-2888

04-27-06 -- Rzeplinski, Michael et al. -- Indictment -- News Release

Three Indicted in Alleged No-show Job Scheme at

Fort Monmouth

TRENTON – Two former government employees at Fort Monmouth, along

with a daughter of one of the employees, were indicted today on federal

charges in connection with their scheme to have contractors provide no-show

jobs for the daughter, and pay kickbacks to one of the employees, U.S.

Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Michael Rzeplinski, 55, a former programs director for the General Services

Administration (GSA) and former U.S. Army supervisory engineer, Connie

Davidson, 61, a former GSA employee who resides with Rzeplinski in Red

Bank, and Kirsten Davidson, 33, of Red Bank, daughter of Connie Davidson,

were charged in a six-count Indictment.

Count One of the Indictment charges all three defendants with conspiracy to

defraud the United States by making false claims. Rzeplinski is charged with

mail fraud in Counts Two and Three, and tax evasion in Counts Four through

Six.

The three defendants are expected to surrender themselves at their initial

appearances on the Indictment tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate John J.

Hughes at 10:30 a.m. in Trenton.

The Indictment describes a scheme in which Rzeplinski and Connie Davidson

used their positions at Fort Monmouth to arrange no-show jobs for Kirsten

Davidson with two companies, which are identified in the Indictment as

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Page 2

Company-1 and Company-2, that held contracts to provide information

technology-related support services to the Army at Fort Monmouth.

According to the Indictment, in February 2002 Rzeplinski caused a project to

be awarded to Company-1 to provide IT-related services at Fort Monmouth.

The Indictment alleges that between February 2002 and February 2005,

Company-1 billed the Army, and Rzeplinski approved, approximately

$283,000 in payment claims for work that Kirsten Davidson did not perform.

Kirsten Davidson received in excess of $125,424 in gross salary from

Company-1, although she performed no or almost no work, according to the

Indictment.

Furthermore, the Indictment alleges that between January 2003 and October

2005, Company-2 was paid approximately $555,710 on a GSA IT-related

services order, which Rzeplinski and Connie Davidson caused to be awarded to

Company-2, and on a separate GSA contract as a second-level subcontractor,

which also was arranged by Rzeplinski. According to the Indictment, Kirsten

Davidson received approximately $156,788 in gross salary from Company-2

during this time period, although she performed no or almost no work for

Company-2. In addition, the Indictment alleges that as a part of the conspiracy,

Company-2 made in excess of $14,430 in tuition payments to a university

located in New Jersey on behalf of Kirsten Davidson.

The Indictment also describes Rzeplinski’s scheme to defraud GSA by causing

Company-2 to hire a company called “R-ZED Engineering,” a sole

proprietorship controlled by Rzeplinski, as a subcontractor on Company-2's

GSA contract. The Indictment alleges that between June 2002 and October

2005, Company-2, at Rzeplinski’s direction, mailed approximately 35

payments, totaling $151,500, to a post office box in Oceanport. According to

the Indictment, Rzeplinski had opened this post office box in the name of R-

ZED Engineering. According to the Indictment, R-ZED Engineering never

performed any work as a subcontractor to Company-2. Instead, Rzeplinski

deposited Company-2's checks into either his personal bank account, or an

account he controlled in the name of “R-ZED Engineering Services.” The

indictment alleges Rzeplinski spent the proceeds on personal expenses.

According to the Indictment, Rzeplinski failed to file any federal income tax

returns for tax years 2002, 2003 and 2004. The Indictment alleges the

defendant failed to file despite having income in the amounts of $154,712 for

tax year 2002, $201,495 in 2003, and $185,464 in 2004. As a result, Rzeplinski

evaded taxes for those tax years in the total amount of $47,081, according to

the Indictment.

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Page 3

The defendants are each charged in Count One of the Indictment, which

charges conspiracy to making false claims, which carries a statutory maximum

penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the aggregate loss

to the victims or gain to the defendants. Additionally, Rzeplinski is charged

with two counts of mail fraud and three counts of tax evasion. Each mail fraud

count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Each tax evasion count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a

fine of $100,000.

In determining an actual sentence, the judge to whom the case is assigned

would, upon a conviction, consult the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines,

which provide appropriate sentencing ranges that take into account the severity

and characteristics of the offense, the defendant's criminal history, if any, and

other factors. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in

determining a sentence.

Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Defendants who are given

custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.

Despite Indictment, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until

found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the

defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and

federal law.

Christie credited Special Agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service,

under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge James W. Murawski in Edison,

the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the

direction of Special Agent in Charge Daniel J. Walsh in New York, the Internal

Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of

Special Agent in Charge Patricia J. Haynes in Newark, and the U.S. Army

Criminal Investigation Command, under the direction of Special Agent in

Charge Steven Mickelberg at Fort Monmouth, with the investigation leading to

the Indictment.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Schweiker

of the Criminal Division in Trenton.

http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/npftf/pr/press_releases/2007/jan/01-18-07threesent.pdf

Page 1

United States Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney, District of New Jersey

402 East State Street, Room 430

Trenton, New Jersey 08608

Christopher J. Christie, U.S. Attorney

More Information? Contact the Assistant U.S. Attorney or other contact listed below to see if

more information is available.

News on the Internet: News Releases, related documents and advisories are posted short-term

at our website, along with links to our archived releases at the Department of Justice in

Washington, D.C.

Go to: http://www.njusao.org/break.html

Greg Reinert, PAO

856-757-5233

Public Affairs Office

973-645-2888

http://www.njusao.org

Breaking News (NJ) http://www.njusao.org/break.html

NEWS

Assistant U.S. Attorney

rzep0118.rel

ERIC M. SCHWEIKER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

609-989-0566

Jan. 18, 2007

Three Defendants Sentenced to Prison Terms

For No-show Job Scheme at Fort Monmouth

(More)

Page 2

2

TRENTON – Two former government employees at Fort Monmouth, along with a daughter

of one of the employees, were sentenced to federal prison terms today for their scheme to

have contractors pay kickbacks and provide no-show jobs for the daughter, U.S. Attorney

Christopher J. Christie announced.

U.S. District Chief Judge Garrett E. Brown, Jr., sentenced Michael Rzeplinski, 56, of Red

Bank, a former programs director for the General Services Administration (GSA) and a

former U.S. Army supervisory engineer, to 46 months in prison and ordered Rzeplinski to

pay $862,710 in restitution. Judge Brown sentenced Connie Davidson, 62, a former GSA

employee who resides with Rzeplinski, to 12 months in prison and ordered her to pay

$395,710 in restitution. Davidson’s daughter, Kirsten Davidson, 33, also of Red Bank, was

sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $290,647 in restitution. Judge Brown

continued the defendants’ release on personal recognizance bonds, secured by a residence

they share, pending their surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

Each of the defendants entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court in Trenton before Judge

Brown on Aug. 9, 2006. Rzeplinski and Kirsten Davidson pleaded guilty to Count One of

the Indictment, which was returned on April 27, 2006, charging conspiracy to defraud the

United States by making false claims. Rzeplinski also pleaded guilty to Count Six, charging

tax evasion. Connie Davidson pleaded guilty a Superseding Information charging her with

aiding and abetting the submission of false claims to the United States.

At his plea hearing, Rzeplinski admitted he used his position at Fort Monmouth to arrange

no-show jobs for Kirsten Davidson with two companies that held contracts to provide

information technology-related support services at Fort Monmouth. In addition, Rzeplinski

admitted that he used a sole proprietorship he controlled, “ZED Services,” to receive

payments from one of the contractors.

Rzeplinski admitted that between February 2002 and October 2005, he caused projects to be

awarded to two companies, Aquila Management and PCC Technology Group, to provide IT-

related services at Fort Monmouth. Rzeplinski admitted that he had the companies hire

Kirsten Davidson to perform computer-related work and that the companies billed the

government for time that Kirsten Davidson was supposed to have worked. Rzeplinski

admitted that he approved invoices for work that Kirsten Davidson never performed.

Rzeplinski admitted that he caused PCC to hire a his company, ZED Services, as a

subcontractor. Rzeplinski admitted from June 2002 until October 2005, he had PCC mail

monthly checks in amounts of $4,000, and later $4,500, to a post office box he controlled,

which were disguised as payments to ZED Services for subcontracting work. Rzeplinski

admitted that ZED Services never performed any work as a subcontractor. In total, the

Government paid approximately $862,710 to Aquila and PCC for work that Kirsten

Davidson and ZED were purported to have performed, even though neither ever performed

Page 3

3

any work.

In pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion, Rzeplinski admitted that for tax years 2002,

2003, and 2004, he failed to file federal income tax returns, and thereby avoided paying a

total of approximately $47,081 in federal income tax due. Rzeplinski admitted that he failed

to file despite having six-figure income from both his government employment and the

scheme he set up with ZED Services during those tax years.

Prior news releases concerning the defendants’ indictment and guilty pleas are available by

following the appropriate links on the office website located at: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj

In determining the actual sentences, Judge Brown consulted the advisory U.S. Sentencing

Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges that take into account the severity

and characteristics of the offense, the defendant's criminal history, if any, and other factors.

The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Defendants who are given custodial

terms must serve nearly all that time.

Christie credited Special Agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the

direction of Resident Agent in Charge James W. Murawski in Edison, the General Services

Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge

Daniel J. Walsh in New York, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division,

under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia J. Haynes in Newark, and the U.S.

Army Criminal Investigation Command, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge

Carl Russ, Philadelphia Fraud Resident Agency, with the investigation leading to the

Indictment.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Schweiker of the

Criminal Division in Trenton.

– end –

Defense Attorneys:

Michael Rzeplinski - Brian Reilly, Esq., Asst. Fed. Public Defender

Connie Davidson - Timothy Boney, Esq., Trenton

Kirsten Davidson - Robert Obler, Esq., Lawrenceville

https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/JAGCNETInternet/Homepages/AC/ArmyFraud.nsf/(JAGCNetDocID)/69F0C8C7A6A4129885257244004502F2/$FILE/PFA%20Newletter%20Issue%2063.pdf
United States Army Legal Services Agency
Procurement Fraud Branch
Contract & Fiscal Law Division
Army Procurement Fraud Advisor’s Newsletter

Conspiracy (Fort Monmouth).

On 11 September 2006, the Army SDO suspended Mr.
Michael Rzeplinski, Ms. Connie Davidson, Ms. Kirsten Davidson, and R-ZED Engineering Services (ZED). Mr. Rzeplinski worked at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, as a supervisory engineer for the Army. Ms. Connie Davidson worked for GSA as the lead customer relations manager with the Federal Technology Service (FTS), a division of GSA that
provides IT services to various federal agencies, including the Army. Ms. Kirsten Davidson is the daughter of Ms. Connie Davidson. Mr. Rzeplinski arranged for a project to be awarded to two Government contractors to provide IT-related services. He asked both contractors to hire Ms. Kirsten Davidson to perform computer-related services under his direction, and the contractors then billed the Army for her “services.” Mr. Rzeplinski approved approximately $838,710 in payments under this arrangement, although no work was actually performed by Ms. Kirsten Davidson under either of
the two contracts. In addition, Mr. Rzeplinski caused one of the contractors to hire a company called R-ZED Engineering Services (ZED), a sole proprietorship he controlled, as a subcontractor. From June 2002 until October 2005, the contractor mailed monthly checks in amounts of $4,000, and later $4,500, to ZED for work which was never performed. On 27 April 2006, Mr. Rzeplinski and Ms. Kirsten Davidson were indicted in the United States District Court of New Jersey. On 9 August 2006, a Superseding Information was filed against Connie Davidson, she having waived prosecution by
indictment. (Mr. Kim)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1874627/posts
Is There A Chance To Keep Fort Monmouth Open?