BALTIMORE (November 11, 2007) - Myron Price, age 45, of Accokeek, Prince George's County, Maryland pleaded guilty on Thursday to making a false claim for overtime and travel expenses in connection with his work as a physical scientist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to his plea agreement, Price’s primary duty station with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was in Baltimore. Price admitted that for the six year period from 1998 to 2004, he falsified both his travel vouchers and overtime claims on his time and attendance reports to maximize his personal compensation. He admitted causing losses to the Army Corps of Engineers of between $200,000 and $400,000. According to the plea agreement, the United States claims restitution of $379,436.55.
According to the plea agreement, Price submitted false travel vouchers for his travel to Army installations, claiming mileage from Baltimore to Ft. Lee or Ft. Eustis, Virginia of 320 to 1130 miles, when the actual distance to Ft. Lee is 176 miles and the actual distance to Ft. Eustis, Virginia is 210 miles. The actual distance Price traveled from his homes in Washington, D.C., and then Accokeek, Maryland, to Ft. Lee and Ft. Eustis was even shorter. Price also submitted false travel vouchers for local mileage he drove after he reached his temporary duty station of Ft. Lee or Ft. Eustis, claiming 800 to 6,100 miles per voucher – mileage that is far in excess of the local mileage which he actually drove.
Price also claimed reimbursement for travel expenses on Saturdays and Sundays when he performed no work and claimed reimbursement for days when he was not where his travel voucher claimed he was. For example, Price claimed reimbursement for official travel to Ft. Lee, Virginia and for overtime during the period he claimed to be there, when in fact he was in Trump Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey and on vacation in Raleigh, North Carolina. In October 2002, Price claimed to be on official travel to Ft. Lee for 28 days, when in fact he spent only two days on official travel. Similarly, in November and December 2002, and January and February, 2003, Price claimed to be on official travel at Ft. Lee or Ft. Eustis between 10 and 25 days each month, when in fact he was never at Ft. Lee or Ft. Eustis those months.
For the remainder of 2003 and much of 2004, Price admitted to submitting vouchers for over 20 travel days each month, plus overtime on the trips, when in fact, he was only at the Virginia installations between one and nine days each month.
Price faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Andre M. Davis scheduled sentencing for January 18, 2008 at 12:30 p. m. at which time the government will recommend that, in addition to serving time in prison, Price pay restitution of $379,436.55.
Source: United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein
RELATED INFORMATION:
Accokeek Man Indicted For Submitting False Travel Vouchers, Overtime Claims, July 15, 2007
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