Approved Fraudulent Invoices for Goods Never Delivered
GREENBELT, Md. (May 08, 2008) - U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Central W. Godbolt, age 48, of Burtonsville, Maryland, on Tuesday to 34 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to defraud the United States and three counts of making false statements in connection with a scheme to defraud the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) where he was employed, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Titus also ordered Godbolt to pay $203,353.44 in restitution.
According to the testimony presented at the three day trial, Godbolt was an engineer at the NSWC and was issued a government credit card with the authority to obtain goods and services for the NSWC. From at least January 2000 through October 2004, Godbolt and co-conspirator Kwame Mayson created fraudulent invoices in the names of fictitious companies, falsely reflecting that those companies had provided goods and services to NSWC.
From approximately 2000 through 2002, Mayson submitted those invoices to Godbolt, who used his government credit card to pay the invoices, knowing that the goods and services were never provided to the NSWC. Godbolt then signed statements falsely certifying that the purchase amounts he charged to his credit card were for NSWC.
From about February 2002 through October 2004 the scheme continued in a similar fashion with another accomplice’s government purchase card being used to pay for goods and services not provided. That accomplice died during the course of the investigation.
Mayson, age 37, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2008. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
In October 2006, the Deputy Attorney General announced the formation of a National Procurement Fraud Task Force designed to promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of procurement fraud associated with the increase in government contracting activity for national security and other government programs. The Procurement Fraud Task Force - chaired by Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher for the Criminal Division - includes the United States Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, the U.S. Inspectors General community and a number of other federal law enforcement agencies.
This case was brought by members of the Task Force.
Source: United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein