22-Year-Old Arms Dealer Not On the Up and Up?

[babylonsister]

No record of arms dealer's certification as disadvantaged business
By Elizabeth Newell and Robert Brodsky [e-mail] April 3, 2008


A Miami-based defense contractor under investigation for delivering faulty munitions to Afghan security forces saw his business boom after being incorrectly labeled as a small disadvantaged business.

Before the designation first appeared in the Federal Procurement Data System in mid-2006, AEY Inc., owned by 22-year-old Efraim Diveroli, had done $8.14 million in business with the federal government. Since the SDB label was applied, AEY has earned more than $204 million in federal contracts.

But several federal sources told Government Executive that AEY has never been certified as a small disadvantaged business. Officials at the Small Business Administration's headquarters in Washington and at its South Florida district office said they have no record of the company or any of its owners or operators filing an application for, or receiving certification, as a small disadvantaged business.

"They are not an SDB," an official from the South Florida office said. "They are not 8(a) or anything like that. They are just a firm that is listed in {the Central Contractor Registry} for purposes of being able to secure contracts."

more...

http://www.governmentexecutive.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39702&dcn=todaysnews

[moggie]

1. Who'd have thought it?

Sheesh, if you can't trust a 22-year-old arms dealer, who can you trust?

[babylonsister]

2. I want to know who awarded this contract, and why? But point taken.

:P