Father, son indicted in $10M Navy kickbacks case

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http://www.wset.com/story/17796002/father-son-indicted-in-10m-navy-kickbacks-case

Posted: Apr 26, 2012 4:05 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 26, 2012 5:55 PM CDT

By LAURA CRIMALDI
Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A civilian engineer from Virginia who worked for the Naval Sea Systems Command and his 80-year-old father were indicted on Thursday in Rhode Island in an alleged bribery and fraud plot that prosecutors say cost the U.S. Navy about $10 million over 15 years.

The indictment of Ralph M. Mariano, 54, of South Arlington, Va., and his father, Ralph Mariano Jr., of North Providence, R.I., came after three others accused in the plot pleaded guilty to charges and agreed to cooperate with federal authorities.

Prosecutors allege Ralph Mariano used his authority at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, R.I., and his oversight of certain Navy contracts to arrange for naval funds to be funneled back to him directly or through other companies from 1996 until January 2011.

The case dates back to February 2011, when Ralph Mariano and Anjan Dutta-Gupta, 58, of Roswell, Ga., who owned Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow, were arrested. The now-defunct company, which had offices in Roswell and Middletown, R.I., had $120 million in Navy contracts when Dutta-Gupta was arrested. The firm laid off all its employees shortly after Dutta-Gupta's arrest.