USAID bribery scheme involved $550M in federal contracts

A former U.S. Agency for International Development official in Maryland and three corporate executives have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving more than $550 million in contracts, with two of the companies who contracted with USAID agreeing Thursday to defer their own prosecution.

Roderick Watson, a former USAID contracting officer, pled guilty last month before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to receiving bribes from three corporate executives in exchange for awarding USAID contracts to Apprio, Inc. and Vistant, federal contractors that provide technology solutions and program management services to government agencies.