Former USPS Employee, Printing Employees Guilty in Bribe Case
A former printing specialist with the U.S. Postal Service's headquarters in Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to receiving bribes and conspiracy to commit money laundering in a case in which at least four printing employees also pleaded guilty. Daniel J. Williams Jr., 62, of Accokeek, Md., admitted to taking bribes over a 12-year period from printing employees seeking printing contracts with the USPS. In return, the printing employees received confidential bid information and preferential treatment from Williams. Williams also took steps, with his tax preparer, to launder those bribery funds by setting up shell companies, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
When sentenced on Feb. 11, 2005, Williams faces up to 35 years in prison and a $500,000 fine under the statute. His guilty plea "marks the end of a brazen bribery scheme that netted him nearly $800,000 in personal profit at the expense of the United States taxpayer," said United States Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein.
The investigation also resulted in guilty pleas from printing vendors who were seeking and obtaining printing contracts with the USPS through Williams. Four of them are Alphonso Slater, who pleaded guilty to paying bribes between 1999 and 2003, while employed as a sales representative of Largo Press; Claire Miller, who pleaded guilty to paying bribes between 1999 and 2003, while employed as a sales representative of U.S. Tag & Label; David McNaughton Sr., who pleaded guilty to paying bribes between 1991 and 2003, while employed as president of Keener Manufacturing Company Inc.; and Jeffrey Johnson, who pleaded guilty to paying illegal gratuities between 1999 and 2003, while employed as a sales representative of Todd Allan Printing.
The Office of the Inspector General for the United States Postal Service and the FBI initiated their investigation in August 2003 based on an anonymous hotline complaint received by the USPS. The hotline complaint alleged that Williams illegally solicited and received money and gifts from several USPS contractors in return for favorable treatment and contract awards.
An allegation in the criminal information filed against Williams calls for forfeiture of Williams' house, which he paid for with the bribe money. In the plea agreement, Williams also agreed to the administrative forfeiture of a Corvette car and a Rolex watch.
Americans Used Debit Cards in Record Amount
Americans kept their checkbooks in their pockets and instead flashed debit cards in record numbers last year, making 2003 the first time plastic and other electronic payment methods beat out paper, according to a survey released Dec. 6 by the Federal Reserve and reported in The Washington Post. A total of 44.5 billion electronic payment transactions crossed the wires in 2003, compared with 36.7 billion check payments. Those numbers marked a turnabout from 2000, when Americans wrote 41.9 billion checks, and electronic payments clocked in at 30.6 billion, the Fed said.
R.R. Donnelley Eyes New Location
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. is leaving its riverside headquarters building for a new high-rise under construction in Chicago's West Loop, according to the Nov. 16 edition of Crain's Chicago Business. After a lengthy space search, the company is in advanced negotiations to lease 92,000 square feet of office space in a 51-story tower at 111 S. Wacker Drive. Earlier this year, R.R. Donnelley closed its acquisition of Moore Wallace to create a firm with 50,000 employees and more than $8 billion in annual sales.
Avery Dennison, RF Code to Unveil RFID Tags
RF Code Inc., Mesa, Ariz., and Avery Dennison Corp., Pasadena, Calif., organized two demonstrations of the SecureStrap security monitoring and electronic seal technology. Available next year, the product leverages RF Code's TAVIS data management platform and active RFID technology, and Avery Dennison's tamper sensor. The SecureStrap tags contain electronic seal technology for tamper monitoring, tracking, and locating containers and other physical assets. SecureStrap consists of a radio lock (an active RFID real-time locating device) that's attached to a fiber-optic, tamper-sensor cable. If the cable is compromised, SecureStrap sends out a radio distress signal indicating its identification code and a tamper indication signal. An encrypted reset key allows reuse of the SecureStrap's radio lock component.
FedEx Kinko's Goes Greener
FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Services, Dallas, increased the recycled content of the paper used behind the counter at more than 1,100 U.S. FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Centers. Moving from 10 percent to 30 percent post-consumer recycled content in the company's highest paper consumption area is expected to raise the company's annual post-consumer recycled content average to an estimated 26.2 percent. This represents a jump of nine percentage points over its 2003 average.
Ennis Ranked on Forbes List
Ennis Inc., a manufacturer headquartered in Midlothian, Texas, appeared for the third year on Forbes magazine's list of "200 Best Small Companies." Ennis ranked No. 172 on the list that comprises publicly traded companies with sales of $5 million to $600 million in the past 12 months. Forbes published the list in its Nov. 1 issue. Ennis recently merged with Alstyle Apparel, a promotional apparel provider based in Anaheim, Calif., and acquired Dayton, Ohio-based Crabar/GBF, a $69 million print manufacturer.
