A Maryland subcontractor has pleaded guilty to a multi-year conspiracy to bribe a federal official in exchange for steering government contracts to his construction company, along with separate charges of wire fraud and illegal firearm possession.
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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Christopher Brackins, 51, of Mt. Airy, admitted to conspiring with a former contracting officer’s representative from the General Services Administration (GSA) between 2018 and 2021. Brackins paid approximately $50,000 in cash and other benefits to the official, only referred to as Public Official A, to secure subcontracting work on GSA projects. One tactic used in the scheme involved issuing an inflated bonus to an employee, who then passed $8,000 in cash to the official. In another instance, Brackins routed a $25,000 payment through a third-party air-conditioning repair business controlled by an associate of the official.
The fraudulent conduct resulted in Brackins’s company obtaining at least $133,413 in illicit profits. In addition to the bribery charge, Brackins pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to a misused Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and to possession of a machine gun with an obliterated serial number. Each charge carries substantial penalties, with wire fraud punishable by up to 20 years in prison, bribery by up to 5 years, and the firearms offense by up to 10 years. Each conviction also includes the possibility of up to three years of supervised release.
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Brackins is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10 by U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman. While federal sentencing guidelines often result in penalties below the maximum, the judge will consider various statutory factors before issuing a sentence. The case was investigated by multiple federal agencies, including the GSA Office of Inspector General, FBI, and the Inspectors General for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo and Justice Department Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson.
Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland
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