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Defense Contractor Convicted of Bribery(AP Online Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) SAN DIEGO_A defense contractor was convicted Monday of bribing former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham with cash, meals, trips and other gifts in exchange for nearly $90 million in Pentagon work. Brent Wilkes was convicted of all 13 counts against him, including conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and fraud. He faces up to 20 years in prison. The Pentagon contracts he received after lavishing Cunningham with more than $700,000 worth of perks were mainly for scanning paper documents, prosecutors said. Cunningham, an eight-term Republican from California, pleaded guilty in 2005 to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from Wilkes and others _ including antiques, boats, a used Rolls Royce and cash to pay the mortgage on his mansion. The former lawmaker, now 65 and suffering from prostate cancer, is serving a eight-year federal prison sentence. Wilkes, 53, had steadfastly maintained his innocence since being charged in February. During the three-week trial, prosecutors called former Cunningham staffers, a waiter and even two prostitutes to support the bribery allegations against Wilkes. Two co-conspirators pleaded guilty to felonies in their dealings with Cunningham, including former Wilkes employee Mitchell Wade. He admitted giving Cunningham more than $1 million in kickbacks for about $150 million in government contracts. In a separate federal case, Wilkes is charged with offering a job to former CIA Executive Director Kyle Foggo, a childhood friend, and treating him to luxurious golf vacations in return for help getting contracts. Wilkes' lawyers have said their client was simply being generous to an old friend. Both men have pleaded not guilty to 30 counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. No trial date has been set in that case. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |