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Press Release

Former Vice-President Of Sanborn Map Company, Inc. Pleads Guilty To Illegally Using An Unapproved Foreign Subcontractor On A Government Contract

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri

St. Louis, MO – Sanborn Map Company Inc. is a photogrammetric mapping and geographic information system services company headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Sanborn  operated a regional office in Chesterfield, Missouri, until December, 2011. 

ROBERT A. WILLIAMS was employed as a Senior Vice President and General Manager at Sanborn from 2000 until he was laid off in 2011.

In June 2007,Williams submitted a proposal to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis Division, for an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to furnish all labor, supplies, materials, plant, equipment and personnel necessary to provide photogrammetric mapping and aerial photography for the Corps.

According to statements made in court during the plea, in September 2007, Williams participated in cost negotiations for the contract, and one of the provisions was that the Corps must pre-approve Sanborn's use of all subcontractors.  Williams agreed to that provision, and the Corps of Engineers awarded the contract to Sanborn.  Later that month, the Corps issued a "Request for Proposal" for digital orthophoto production.  Williams submitted Sanborn's cost proposal and all cost and pricing data reflected that work would be completed by Sanborn and not subcontractors.

During May 2008, Williams arranged for Spatial Data Consultants Inc., a geospatial data production company located in High Point, North Carolina, to funnel triangulation and digital orthophoto production to Eastdawn Corporation, an unapproved foreign subcontractor located in China.  Eastdawn Corporation was able to complete the orthophoto production at a rate much lower than the negotiated contract rate.

In September 2009, Williams presented to the Corps a claim for final payment on the contract, and certified that all of the contract requirements were met.  The Corps paid Sanborn for the work completed not knowing it was completed by an unapproved foreign subcontractor.

Williams, who resides in Austin, Texas, pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of theft of Government money before United States Magistrate Judge Shirley Mensah.  Sentencing has been set for November 25, 2013.

This case was investigated by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division Procurement Fraud Division and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.   Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Roy is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Updated March 19, 2015