Contracting Official at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Pleads Guilty to Corruption

GREENBELT, MD—Kevin R. Roach, age 48, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Army of his honest services as a public official in connection with a scheme to corrupt the procurement of federal contracts at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. His trial was scheduled to begin today.

Roach entered his guilty plea after two other individuals involved in the scheme, Louis Pisani Jr. and Leon Krachyna, also entered guilty pleas. According to their plea agreements, Roach was a long-time civilian contract specialist with the U.S. Army Medical Command responsible for facilitating the procurement of goods and services for Walter Reed. In a scheme lasting between 1999 and 2003, Roach steered government contracts worth up to $2.2 million to Platinum Contractors, Inc., a company based in Silver Spring, Maryland. The contracts involved tree maintenance and moving services at Walter Reed. The sole shareholder and president of Platinum Contractors was Louis Pisani. Pisani and his partner, Leon Krachyna, agreed to kickback 10% of the contract payments to Roach in exchange for favorable treatment, including confidential bidding information. The kickbacks included cash and checks made payable to Roach and his spouse from company bank accounts. Pisani also gave Roach a $30,000 Ford F-150 pick-up truck to use free of charge, while Pisani’s business paid $16,000 in insurance premiums and loan payments on the truck.

Roach faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte scheduled his sentencing for July 9, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.

Louis Pisani, Jr., age 43, of Silver Spring, Maryland, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit bribery and 20 years in prison for obstruction of an agency investigation. Leon Krachyna, age 41, of Rockville, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy to bribe a public official. No dates have been set for their sentencing. 

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Army Criminal Investigation Command, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Pauze and Steven M. Dunne, who are prosecuting the case.