Central Florida Corporation Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging on U.S. Navy Contracts

[Reno.Muse]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --- A central Florida metal
sling manufacturer pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a $150,000 criminal
fine today for its role in a conspiracy to rig bids on U.S. Navy contracts
for metal sling hoist assemblies, used to transport items such as bombs and
other munitions, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.



Certified Slings Inc., a manufacturer of slings for commercial and
military use headquartered in Casselberry, Fla., pleaded guilty in the U.S.
District Court in Islip, N.Y., to a felony charge of bid-rigging. Under the
terms of the plea agreement, Certified Slings has also agreed to cooperate
with the Department's ongoing investigation.



A metal sling hoist assembly is a wire rope basket-type sling that is
used by military to move ordnance and other material. For example, the Navy
uses metal sling hoist assemblies on board aircraft carriers to transport
missiles or bombs from storage areas to planes or helicopters.



According to the charge, Certified Slings participated in a conspiracy
between December 2002 and October 2003 to rig bids for U.S. Navy contracts
for metal sling hoist assemblies. The conspirators discussed and agreed
among themselves which of them would win contracts from the U.S. Navy.

more...

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/11-29-2007/0004714118&EDATE=

[unhappycamper]

1. Color me surprised.

NOT.

[jody]

2. If an individual had committed that crime, she/he would be serving several years in prison denied

the opportunity to work for a profit during that time.

Our Constitution does not recognize rights for corporations but beginning with Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad (1886), SCOTUS has given corporations most of the rights we treasure as natural, inalienable rights.

Sadly SCOTUS does not punish corporations by placing them in prison.

IMO a proper punishment for Certified Slings would be to pay a fine of all profits produced during the time commensurate with a prison sentence an individual would serve for the same crime. All of that done under the careful eye of a court appointed overseer.