ARTICLE · 02 FEBRUARY 2023

DOJ Strike Force Nabs Another Government Contractor

Womble Bond Dickinson

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On January 17, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice announced that it had obtained another in a recent string of guilty pleas as a result of investigations into government contracting...

United StatesGovernment, Public Sector

Lee K. Van Voorhis

Christopher L. Lockwood

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On January 17, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice announced that it had obtained another in a recent string of guilty pleas as a result of investigations into government contracting by the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). According to his plea, Aaron Stephens conspired with others to rig bids on certain government contracts from May 2013 to January 2018 to obtain government payments in excess of $17.2 million. Stephens faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years' jail time and a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross loss resulting from the offense.

What is the PCSF?

Launched in 2019, the PCSF is an interagency strike force made up of federal prosecutors from the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice and 22 U.S. Attorneys' Offices, as well as law enforcement agents from seven national partner agencies: the FBI, two Offices of Inspector General of the DOD, the Department of Homeland Security, DOJ, the General Services

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