Four Plead Guilty In $550 Million USAID Bribery Scheme

Four men have pleaded guilty to a $550 million bribery scheme involving the US Agency for International Development (USAID), resulting in 14 contracts being improperly awarded. The scheme involved Robert Watson, a USAID contracting officer, who took bribes from Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio, Inc., in exchange for awarding contracts to Apprio. Walter Barnes, owner of Vistant, and Paul Young, president of a subcontractor to both Vistant and Apprio, were also involved. Vistant and Apprio are small businesses certified under the US Small Business Administration's 8(a) contracting program. The bribery scheme began in 2013 and continued until 2022, with Watson receiving bribes valued at over $1 million. The four men are scheduled to be sentenced between July and October, with Watson facing a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The Justice Department has stated that the defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers through bribery and fraud. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been seeking to dismantle USAID, with a bill passed in the House of Representatives aiming to cut "wasteful foreign assistance spending" at USAID and other international assistance programs. The administration has also terminated or placed on leave most USAID employees and shut down the agency's headquarters. A federal judge has ruled that the administration's actions likely violated the Constitution, and access for USAID workers and contractors has been reinstated.