UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES THE FILING OF A ONE-COUNT INFORMATION AGAINST A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT

Martin C. Carlson, the Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today that he has filed one-count Criminal Information against a former employee of the Tobyhanna Army Depot: Mark G. Cooper, age 52, of Wapwallopen, Pennsylvania. The Criminal Information alleges that beginning in or about mid-2001 and continuing until in or about the April 2006, Cooper and others conspired to violate laws of the United States including bribery of public officials, mail and wire fraud, and theft of property of the United States.

The Criminal Information avers that in furtherance of the conspiracy, Cooper and his coconspirators entered into a series of secret business arrangements and financial transactions for their mutual financial gain. Acting as public officials on behalf of the United States Army the conspirators are allege to have circumvented the normal Government competitive bid process to influence and steer the award of lucrative Government contracts to Computer Giants in return for cash and merchandise from Computer Giants. Computer Giants is an information technology (IT) company based in New York City that sold various IT-related supplies and services to the Government including computers, and computer related hardware.

In announcing the charges, Acting United States Attorney Martin C. Carlson praised the thorough investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division which uncovered the scheme between employees at not only the Tobyhanna Army Depot but also the wrongdoing of other employees and independent contractors at several other Department of Defense facilities including Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. Mr. Carlson further commented that the investigation revealed that the wrongdoing uncovered was isolated to only a few employees at the Tobyhanna Army Depot and was no reflection on the 4000 dedicated, hard-working personnel at Tobyhanna. Mr. Carlson stated that the investigation is continuing.

If convicted on the charge in the Criminal Information, Cooper faces a maximum of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gurganus is prosecuting the case.

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A Criminal Information is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the
charge made by the United States Attorney against a defendant.
A charged defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding
that the United States has proved the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.