PINEHURST, N.C. — Brett Sanborn, president of Eamon Chase, Inc., pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to rig bids for maintenance, repair, and operations procurements at U.S. military installations, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois detail that between 2017 and 2021, Sanborn conspired with others to suppress competition and manipulate bids awarded to subcontractors through the Defense Logistics Agency. The scheme involved coordinating pricing and submitting artificial losing bids, known as “comp” bids, to create the appearance of competition.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi said, “For $6 million, the defendant defrauded his own government and deprived the U.S. Army of open and honest competition.”
Sanborn pleaded guilty to one felony count of restraining trade under Section 1 of the Sherman Act. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine, while corporate fines could reach $100 million or more. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The case is under investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, with prosecution by the DOJ Antitrust Division.
