Ricky Dallas O’Quinn, 63, of Melbourne, Florida, and his wife, Mabel O’Quinn, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide and receive unlawful labor payments in connection with a scheme involving federal security contracts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
For over a decade, Ricky O’Quinn served as both an officer and employee of the Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA), a union representing protective security officers at federal sites. His wife, Mabel O’Quinn, founded and led a private security firm known as Company-2, which operated across multiple states and secured contracts to provide security services at federal facilities.
Although Ricky O’Quinn did not hold an official title at Company-2, he secretly played a key role in managing the company’s finances, budget, and operations, all while concealing his involvement. Together, the O’Quinns conspired with the head of another federal security contractor (referred to in court filings as a business executive and owner of Company-1) to misuse Company-2’s status as a woman-owned, service-disabled, veteran-owned small business in order to win government contracts.
In return for advice on which contracts to pursue, the executive and his family were granted a 40% share of Company-2’s ownership or profits. From 2013 to 2024, the executive arranged for Company-2 to receive tens of millions of dollars in subcontracts, while also exercising control over the company’s finances and vendor choices. This included hiring three of his relatives as consultants at rates of up to $225 per hour, which resulted in multimillion-dollar payouts.
Both Ricky and Mabel O’Quinn face up to five years in prison for their roles in this fraudulent scheme.
