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June 15, 2025Their decades-long conspiracy involved rigged contracts, NBA tickets, mortgage payments, securities fraud and cash.
Three contractors, a former government contracting officer, and two companies have admitted to a decades-long bribery scheme involving contracts worth over $550 million.
A Thursday Justice Department announcement lists the contractors involved as Walter Barnes, owner of PM Consulting Group, which did business as Vistant; Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio; and Paul Young, president of a subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant.
They pled guilty to federal conspiracy to commit bribery charges. Roderick Watson, formerly a contracting officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development, pled guilty to bribery of a public official.
Apprio and Vistant admitted to criminal liability and entered into three-year deferred prosecution agreements. The companies must continue to cooperate with Justice implement compliance and ethics programs, and make progress reports to the department.
Watson faces the stiffest penalty – up to 15 years in prison. His sentencing is set for Oct. 6.
Barnes, Britt and Young face maximum sentences of five years each. Britt’s sentencing is set for July 28, Young’s is scheduled for Sept. 3 and Barnes will be sentenced Oct. 14.
