HONOLULU, Hawaii – Victor Garo, 67, of Mililani, Hawaii,
pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of conspiracy to accept over
$100,000 in bribes and one count of illegally transporting firearms across
state lines. Garo admitted that he helped steer federal contracts worth more
than $18 million to a contractor. Sentencing is scheduled for March 2020 before
Chief U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the
Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price for the
District of Hawaii, Special Agent in Charge Ray Park of the U.S. Army Criminal
Investigation Command (Army CID), Special Agent in Charge Bryan Denny of the
U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and Special Agent in Charge
Eli S. Miranda of FBI’s Honolulu Field Office made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Price stated that according to court documents
and information presented in court, from 2011 to 2018, Garo, while employed as
the range director at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, accepted over $100,000
worth of bribes from an employee of a federal contractor that sought and
received business from the U.S. Army. The bribes included cash, automobiles,
and firearms. In return, Garo used his position to benefit the contractor in
securing U.S. Army contracts. Garo is the third public official to plead guilty
as a result of an ongoing investigation into fraud and bribery at Schofield
Barracks.
The case was investigated by Army CID, DCIS, FBI, and the
Defense Contract Audit Agency. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Laura
Connelly and Assistant Chief Justin Weitz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud
Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Wallenstein for the District of
Hawaii.
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