Contractor agrees to plead guilty to bid-rigging rocket contracts

[Judi Lynn]

Published Thursday, September 29, 2005

Contractor agrees to plead guilty to bid-rigging rocket contracts

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press Writer
ORLANDO, Fla.

An electrical contractor agreed Thursday to plead guilty to bid-rigging construction contracts for the U.S. Air Force's rocket program and agreed to help the government investigate antitrust violations committed by others.

Woodson & Associates agreed to pay a $175,000 criminal fine for participating in conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition by rigging bids on construction contracts. The company also agreed to provide grand jury testimony, interviews and documents for the government's ongoing probe into antitrust crimes committed by contractors at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Kennedy Space Center and Patrick Air Force Base.
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Miller said he understood that more than two dozen contractors have been subpoenaed as part of the government probe. Talamona said she couldn't confirm that figure.

"They're investigating much, much more than that," Miller said.
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http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050929/APN/509291172