Washington, DC - A former subcontractor for the U.S. Marines Corps was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison for destroying records in connection with a federal investigation of bribery and procurement fraud at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (MCBCL), located in Jacksonville, North Carolina, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. 

The former subcontractor, William Thompson, 56, of Sneads Ferry, North Carolina, previously pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice.  According to documents filed with the Court, Thompson owned and operated C&D Painting and Construction, a construction company with its principal place of business in Sneads Ferry. Public Official 1 was a civilian employee of the U.S. Marine Corps who directed the procurement of information technology services and equipment to be used by the Marine Corps at MCBCL and elsewhere.

In March 2018, agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), FBI, and IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) interviewed Thompson. During the interview, law enforcement agents informed Thompson that they were investigating an alleged bribery conspiracy concerning work that C&D Construction completed as a subcontractor at MCBCL, and about renovations that Thompson performed at Public Official 1’s residence. At the time of the interview, the investigation was covert and not known to all subjects, including Public Official 1.

On the same evening of the interview and the following morning, Thompson exchanged several text messages with Public Official 1 in which Thompson informed Public Official 1 that the FBI, NCIS, and IRS-CI were investigating Public Official 1’s involvement in contracting matters while Public Official 1 was employed by the Marine Corps. After informing Public Official 1 of the ongoing federal investigation, Thompson deleted the relevant text messages from his phone, despite knowing that the messages constituted evidence related to the federal investigation into bribery and procurement fraud at MCBCL.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, NCIS, Naval Audit Service, and IRS-CI.

Trial Attorney Erica O’Brien Waymack of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.