A vice president for Hanford support services contractor Mission Support Alliance has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay $124,440 to settle allegations of illegal kickbacks.
Richard A. Olsen, the vice president of finance, was accused of taking at least $41,480 from Lockheed Martin between March 1, 2010, and Feb. 21, 2012. His attorney, Mark Bartlett, said Olsen did not admit wrongdoing and settled civil allegations to put an end to a long-term federal investigation.
As part of the settlement agreement signed Monday, Olsen will continue to cooperate with a continuing probe of alleged fraud, including submitting to an in-person interview with special agents of the Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of Justice said.
Olsen was an employee of Lockheed Martin on loan to Mission Support Alliance as its chief financial officer when he improperly obtained or rewarded favorable treatment for Lockheed Martin, the Department of Justice alleged. Lockheed Martin was then the primary owner of Mission Support Alliance, and a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin held a subcontract to provide information technology services across the nuclear cleanup site in Washington state
The Department of Justice alleged Olsen helped draft and submit false statements to DOE regarding labor rates charged by Lockheed Martin, as well as the company’s anticipated profit in providing IT services at Hanford.
“The settlement requires Mr. Olsen to pay back three times the amount he received from the alleged fraud and holds Mr. Olsen accountable for his actions,” Joseph Harrington, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said in a press release.
Mission Support Alliance has provided site-wide services at Hanford, including IT services, since 2009. Leidos purchased a major division of Lockheed Martin, which included its share of Mission Support Alliance, in January 2016.