The president of a metal fabrication and manufacturing company pleaded guilty to conspiring to rig bids for maintenance, repair and operations contracts serving U.S. military installations, admitting roughly $8.47 million in commerce attributable to the scheme. The plea was announced by DOJ’s Antitrust Division as part of Procurement Collusion Strike Force efforts to counter procurement fraud that harms taxpayers and national defense readiness.

On February 10, 2026, the Department of Justice Antitrust Division announced that the president of a metal fabrication and manufacturing company pleaded guilty to participating in a bid‑rigging conspiracy involving maintenance, repair, and operations contracts for U.S. military installations. According to the plea, the defendant admitted that the scheme affected approximately $8.47 million in commerce by coordinating bids, allocating contracts, and suppressing competitive bidding on procurements that supported military readiness. The plea is linked to the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, a DOJ initiative focused on identifying and prosecuting collusive practices that inflate costs for government purchasers and undermine the integrity of public contracting. Prosecutors emphasized that bid‑rigging in defense supply chains poses risks to taxpayer dollars and operational reliability, and that the case reflects cross‑agency efforts to detect anticompetitive conduct in public procurement. Sentencing and potential fines or restitution will follow federal guidelines and consider cooperation and the scope of harm to affected procurements.