Former Federal Official And Accountant Indicted In Bribery And Fraud Conspiracy

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A former official for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and an accountant for a private accounting firm were indicted today for their roles in a bribery scheme involving a government contract, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steve W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.

Fredrick J. Leavitt, 46, and Dustin M. Lewis, 43, both of Henderson, Nevada, were each indicted with one count of honest services fraud conspiracy. In addition, Leavitt was charged with one count of solicitation and receipt of a bribe by a public official and Lewis was charged with solicitation and bribery of a public official. Leavitt was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as Director of the Financial Management Office for the Lower Colorado Region, which includes the Hoover Dam. Lewis was employed by LL Bradford & Company (LL Bradford), an accounting and tax firm. Leavitt and Lewis are scheduled to have their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe on Dec. 21, 2017.

According to the allegations contained in the indictment, from February 2015 to February 2016, Lewis bribed and provided kickbacks to Leavitt in exchange for Leavitt, in his official position, steering a Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) audit contract to LL Bradford. It is alleged that Leavitt and Lewis colluded over the preparation of LL Bradford’s bid submission, and Leavitt provided Lewis with inside information about the selection process. Leavitt used his position on the audit selection committee to score LL Bradford’s bid proposal as a “1,” the top rating. The indictment further alleges that after LL Bradford was selected as the winning bidder for the contract, Lewis transferred more than $200,000 to Leavitt. In January 2016, Leavitt went to work as a tax partner with LL Bradford. Finally, the indictment alleges criminal forfeiture against Leavitt in the amount of $201,250, including a 2016 Mercedes Benz CLS 63 AMG S-Model sports car, and criminal forfeiture in the amount of $704,002 as to Lewis.

The case is a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Interior-Office of Inspector General. Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns are prosecuting the case.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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