Paul Skiscim, President of Aerospec, Inc., was arrested on federal charges of supplying defective airplane parts to the federal government for use in its aircraft, including military aircraft.
The charges were announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Kenneth J. Siegler, Resident Agent-in-Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), New York Resident Agency.
According to the complaint, Aerospec had been a supplier of airplane parts to the United States from 2003 until 2013, when the company and Skiscim were debarred after supplying the government with defective airplane parts. After his debarment, Skiscim allegedly continued to bid, contract, and supply defective airplane parts to the federal government through a series of shell companies using the names of relatives and fictitious people to mask his involvement from the United States Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency. Since 2013, the shell companies received over $2.8 million for the supply of airplane parts, including parts that have been shown to be defective.
“It is critical that federal aircraft, including military aircraft, be built with the best parts available. The defendant’s alleged scheme of supplying defective parts not only violated the law but showed a callous disregard for the safety of federal employees and our military personnel,” stated United States Attorney Capers. “I thank the DCIS, the agency responsible for leading the government’s investigation.”
“America’s warfighters deserve the very best to perform their jobs in these difficult times. It is inexcusable that individuals endeavor to enrich themselves by stealing from the U.S. taxpayer through fraud, especially by denying critical goods to our service men and women combating terrorism in a hostile overseas environment. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service remains resolute in our commitment to aggressively investigate these crimes and to support their prosecution to the fullest,” stated DCIS Resident Agent-in-Charge Siegler.
The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields at the federal courthouse in Central Islip. The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Robert Schumacher.
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