Executive pleads guilty to multi-million-dollar bid-rigging conspiracy
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — On Thursday, the president of a metal fabrication and manufacturing company pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to rig bids for maintenance, repair, and operations contracts.
This affected the United States military installations and earned his company more than $8.5 million in rigged procurements.
According to the press release, between at least 2015 and 2022, Thomas C. Rollins of Wilmington conspired with other individuals and companies to suppress and eliminate competition by rigging bids which were awarded to subcontractors through a competitive bidding process.
They agreed ahead of time who would submit the lowest pricing and instructing each other how to price comp or cover bids.
Rollins admitted that the volume of commerce attributable to him and related to the conspiracy was approximately $8.47 million in the plea agreement.
“For seven years, this defendant deliberately chose to cheat instead of compete, harming the Department of War and the American people in the process,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its partners in the Procurement Collusion Strike Force are laser focused on detecting and prosecuting those who seek to tilt the scales in their favor at the expense of American taxpayers and warfighters.”
Rollins pleaded guilty to one count of restraining trade by conspiring to rig bids. The maximum penalty for this crime is 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled at this time.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentencing.
