Caused Losses of Over $379,000 to Army Corps of Engineers
BALTIMORE (Jan. 23, 2008) - On Friday, Jan. 18, U.S. District Judge Andre M. Davis sentenced Myron Price, age 45, of Accokeek, Maryland to two years followed by three years of supervised release for making false claims 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. Judge Davis also ordered that Price pay restitution of $379,436.55.
“Myron Price falsely claimed $379,436 in overtime and travel expenses during a six year period,” stated U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “We will continue to prosecute government employees who betray the public trust.”
“Investigating corruption within the Defense Department is a priority for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and this investigation demonstrates that DCIS will expend the resources to investigate allegations of an employee's fraud, misconduct, and deceit,” said C.R. Gillum, Resident Agent in Charge for DCIS in Baltimore.
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 $379,436.55.
More specifically, 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.
Source: United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein