Aussie pleads guilty in US Govt contract kickback case

An Australian man pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to solicit kickbacks in connection with the award of a private security services subcontract to protect U.S. government personnel and contractors in Afghanistan, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General Christine A. Varney of the Antitrust Division and U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia.

Scott Anthony Walker, 36, of Australia, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Gerald Bruce Lee in the Eastern District of Virginia to one count of conspiracy to solicit a kickback. Walker was arrested in the United States on Nov. 11, 2009.

In August 2006, USAID awarded a $1.4 billion contract known as the Afghanistan Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (the AIRP contract). The AIRP contract required the award of numerous subcontracts, including for the provision of security services to protect AIRP workers. According to court documents, from at least February 2009 until he was terminated in June 2009, Walker worked in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a country security coordinator for the AIRP prime contractor. Walker admitted that he conspired with Bryan Lee Burrows and others to solicit kickbacks from private security vendors in return for favorable treatment for those potential bidders for one or more subcontracts.

According to court documents, the subcontracts provided for private security services to protect USAID personnel and contractors in Afghanistan operating under the AIRP contract.

Burrows pleaded guilty on Sept. 2, 2009, to one count of conspiracy to solicit a kickback. Sentencing of Burrows is currently scheduled for Dec. 18, 2009.

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