Military Suppliers Arrested in Sting

Military Suppliers Arrested in Sting
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - January 19, 2010

Twenty-two executives and employees of companies that supply the military and law enforcement agencies were arrested on the eve of their industry’s annual trade show in Las Vegas after a two-and-a-half-year sting operation focusing on schemes to bribe a foreign official. The Justice Department called the case the largest single investigation and prosecution of individuals in the history of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Twenty-one of the arrests took place in Las Vegas on the first day of the 2010 Shooting, Hunting & Outdoor Trade Show, a convention with more than 55,000 attendees. The Justice Department said those charged had agreed to pay a 20 percent commission to a federal agent who was pretending to be a representative of the defense minister for an African country.