The Antitrust Division (Division) has recently prioritized
the investigation and prosecution of criminal antitrust violations
involving public procurement. Last week, the Division announced that two companies have agreed to
plead guilty as part of an ongoing investigation into bid rigging
and fraud on Department of Defense (DoD) fuel supply contracts for
U.S. military bases in South Korea. The Division simultaneously
unsealed an indictment charging seven individuals with violating
criminal antitrust laws as well as committing fraud against the
federal government. To date, five companies have pleaded guilty as
part of the Division's probe into these DoD fuel supply
contracts.
At a press conference announcing the plea agreements and
indictment, Makan Delrahim – the Assistant Attorney General
of the Division – explained that "[o]ne of the Antitrust
Division's top priorities is to protect the US government and
tax payers." Delrahim also said that the fuel
