Two military contractors were sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division, for their roles in a bid-rigging scheme involving the maintenance and repair of military tactical vehicles in Texas. The multi-year scheme secured more than $17 million in taxpayer dollars.
Aaron Stephens, of Queen City, Texas, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay a criminal fine of $50,000. According to a plea agreement filed on Jan. 12, Stephens and his co-conspirators rigged bids on certain government contracts from May 2013 to January 2018 to give the false impression of competition and secure government payments. The conspirators submitted coordinated, higher-priced and non-competitive bids to ensure a designated company won each contract. Stephens and his co-conspirators rigged six different contracts for work performed for the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas. The projects included heavy military equipment work like refurbishing armor kits for military trucks and turrets for Humvees.
John “Mark” Leveritt, of Heath, Texas, was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a criminal fine of $300,000. According to a plea agreement filed on July 13, 2022, Leveritt engaged in the same conspiracy from May 2013 to April 2018 involving seven bids.
