Justice Dept. Drops Charges Against Hanford Time Card Defendent

The U.S. Department of Justice has requested that criminal charges related to Hanford timecard fraud be dismissed against the final defendant who had pleaded not guilty. The federal government has reached a civil settlement with Patrick Brannan, the base operations radiological control manager for former Hanford tank farms contractor CH2M Hill Hanford Group, according to a new filing in Eastern Washington District U.S. Court. Brannan, who continues to work at the Hanford tank farms, agreed to pay a fine of $5,500, according to the settlement agreement. Three other defendants who were to go to trial with Brannan in February agreed to pay civil fines of $22,000 to $44,000 in agreements reached earlier this month.

“The past three years have been very difficult times for my client and his family,” said Ken Therrien, Brannan’s attorney. “The emotional stress and the financial cost of defending against these false and reckless charges is now over.” The agreement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by Brannan nor a concession by the Department of Justice that its claims were not well founded, the agreement said. It also does not release other former CH2M Hill Hanford Group workers from possible liability, including some who have not been charged. “My client was fully prepared and committed to proceed to trial in order to defend his good name against these baseless allegations,” Therrien said. “However, recent events have made proceeding to trial unnecessary.” The Department of Justice began reaching settlement agreements with defendants scheduled to go to trial in February after a jury decision this fall that acquitted four other former employees of CH2M Hill Hanford Group. Eleven former employees of CH2M Hill Hanford Group pleaded guilty and could be sentenced as soon as this spring.