{"id":16777,"date":"2015-10-26T11:31:24","date_gmt":"2015-10-26T18:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=16777"},"modified":"2015-10-26T12:30:00","modified_gmt":"2015-10-26T19:30:00","slug":"federal-judge-to-gsa-officials-friends-and-family-accepting-bribes-not-acceptable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=16777","title":{"rendered":"Federal Judge to GSA Official’s Friends and Family: Accepting Bribes “Not Acceptable”"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN DIEGO<\/h2>\n
\n

At a sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel<\/strong> noted that Timothy Francis Cashman<\/strong> was a religious man who performed many good deeds and selfless acts throughout his life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Judge_Gonzalo_P._Curiel\"<\/a>
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still, the judge on Friday told a packed courtroom of friends, family and supporters who requested leniency for Cashman that it is “vital;” that people understood that\u00a0\u201cquid pro quo is not the status quo; quid pro quo is not acceptable,” officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Judge Curiel sentenced\u00a0Cashman, a Building Manager for the General Services Administration<\/strong> or GSA, \u00a0to 16 months for accepting bribes and stealing property owned by the federal government, officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, the judge ordered Cashman, of Lakeside, California, to pay $50,057 as restitution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Government contractor Hugo Alonso Inc<\/strong>. and its principal, Hugo Alonso<\/strong>, previously plead guilty and were sentenced.<\/span><\/p>\n

In total, 11 individuals plead guilty in related corruption investigations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over a number of years, Cashman, 54, provided favorable treatment relating to the awarding of GSA contracts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"gsa<\/a>During the sentencing, the evidence showed how Cashman used his position with GSA \u2014 overseeing operations and maintenance at the Otay Mesa, San Ysidro,<\/strong> and Tecate Ports of Entry<\/strong> \u2014 for his personal enrichment rather than to fulfill GSA\u2019s core mission of delivering \u201cthe best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to government and the American people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, officials said he demanded $10,000 in cash and thousands of dollars\u2019 worth of construction and renovation services on Cashman\u2019s personal residence from Hugo Alonso Inc.<\/span><\/p>\n

These services included having Alonso Inc. paint Cashman\u2019s Lakeside home and replace his roof and windows free of charge.<\/span><\/p>\n

The former GSA building manager also demanded that Alonso Inc. pay another government contractor, identified by officials as \u00a0Company \u201cA\u201d $120,000 in exchange for Alsonso Inc.being awarded a GSA construction contract at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry<\/strong>, according to officials.<\/span><\/p>\n

Subsequently, officials said Cashman accepted six checks from Company \u201cA\u201d totaling $42,000, which he deposited into his personal account.\u00a0 All of the income he received from Alonso Inc. was concealed from the IRS when submitting his federal income tax returns.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to accepting bribes from Alonso Inc., Cashman improperly obtained thousands of dollars in valuable federal government building materials for his own benefit by causing GSA contractors and others to remove and transport such materials away from GSA facilities where he could sell or use them without the knowledge of GSA, according to authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among other things, Cashman instructed government contractors to do the following:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n