ONE COUNT CRIMINAL INFORMATION FILED AGAINST A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

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 United States Army: Hieu Tran, age 52, of Centreville, Virginia. The Criminal Information alleges that beginning in or about mid-2001 and continuing until in or about the April 2006, Tran 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 the Defendant, Hieu Tran, was a Major in the United States Army, and served as a Combat Service Support, Automated Information System Interface (CAISI) Program Manager, based out of Ft. Belvoir, VA. Between late 2001 and April 2004, the defendant received approximately $30,000 in merchandise for influencing and directing U.S. Army contract awards to Computer Giants through Tobyhanna Army Depot. The Information further alleges in furtherance of the conspiracy, Tran 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.

If convicted on the charge in the Criminal Information, Tran 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.