Cecil, You are probably correct in all of those statements. I apologize if me posting this article was interpreted as being about this company. It seems to me to be clear from the article that the incident was conducted by an individual. I would think that many would draw the same conclusion as there is only so much you can supervise in the execution of the work. I had not hear about this case until today and simply passed information on a public website. The purpose of the posting was for awareness and that is all.
Thanks, Justin Reid On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 11:46 AM, Sprinkler Academy - C Bilbo < [email protected]> wrote: > > This article is over six months old and the case was from three and a half > years ago. > > This is one incident by a rogue employee that I believe was terminated. It > made a great company look bad and that great company quickly made ammends to > the situation. > > I feel terribly for the people that work at this company that they would be > subject to emails such as this. > > I know many of them and I know that their level of professionalism would > NEVER allow the kinds of practice that happened here. > > Their reputation may have been tarnished by this individual, but they have > such a stellar track record, that they have quickly moved on from this > incident. > > > > Sincerely, > > > Cecil Bilbo > Academy of Fire Sprinkler Technology > Champaign, IL > 217.607.0325 > www.sprinkleracademy.com<http://www.sprinkleracademy.com> > > [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> > > > > OUR STUDENTS SAVE LIVES!! > > > > ---------------------------------------- > > Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:30:41 -0400 > > Subject: Buy American Act Article > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > > > > An interesting article regarding the Buy American Act - J. Reid > > > > > > > > > > > http://progress-index.com/news/fort-lee-subcontractor-faces-possible-20-year-prison-term-1.1135712#axzz1bi3Kb3qG > > > > > > > > FORT LEE - An employee of a subcontractor hired to install fire > sprinklers > > in the Army Sustainment Center of Excellence at Fort Lee has pleaded > guilty > > to a charge of knowingly altering documents to obstruct a federal > > investigation. > > > > Claude Winston Gibson pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of > obstruction > > and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on July 15 in U.S. District > Court > > in Richmond. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison > plus > > three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. In his plea > > agreement, he also agreed to pay restitution of $22,917 to the Norfolk > > Engineer District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. > > > > According to court documents, Gibson was the manager in the fabrication > shop > > of Virginia Sprinkler Co. Inc., a subsidiary of VSC Fire & Security Inc. > of > > Ashland. In April 2008, the company received a $643,000 subcontract to > > install fire sprinklers in the Sustainment Center. > > > > VSC's subcontract was awarded under a $52 million prime contract for > > construction of the center and was subject to the Buy American Act of > 1933, > > which requires the federal government to give preference to U.S.-made > > products in its purchasing decisions. Specifically, the company's > > subcontract required Virginia Sprinkler to buy a type of pipe fitting > known > > as a "weld-o-let" from American manufacturers. > > > > According to court documents, "From April 2008 until July 2008, in order > to > > save money for his department within Virginia Sprinkler, Gibson began to > use > > foreign-made weld-o-lets during the fabrication of the piping systems" > for > > the Sustainment Center. At the same time, prosecutors said, "Gibson > directed > > the welders of his department to grind off the foreign-made markings on > the > > weld-o-lets." > > > > For reasons not disclosed in court filings, in August 2008 the Defense > > Criminal Investigative Service started an investigation of the > Sustainment > > Center project for possible noncompliance with the Buy American Act. A > month > > later, DCIS requested paperwork from Virginia Sprinkler concerning the > > weld-o-lets. > > > > "Shortly after the request, Gibson directed an employee to alter certain > > source documents ... by adding the letters 'USA' on the project documents > > provided to the welders," court documents state. "By doing so, Gibson > made > > it appear that the welders had been instructed ... to use domestic > > weld-o-lets, but on their own had ignored the 'USA' notation and instead > > used the foreign weld-o-lets." > > > > The case against Gibson was filed in federal court in Richmond just a > month > > ago. Gibson waived his right to formal indictment and entered his guilty > > plea at the first hearing held in the case, which originally was > scheduled > > only as a bond hearing. > > > > The federal Buy American Act passed in March 1933 superseded an earlier > law > > dating to 1875 that gave preferential treatment to American-produced > > materials in contracts for public improvements. > > > > The act states in part that "only such manufactured articles, materials > and > > supplies as have been manufactured in the United States, substantially > all > > from articles, materials or supplies mined, produced or manufactured, as > the > > case may be, in the United States, shall be acquired for public use." > > > > - Michael Buettner may be reached at 804-722-5155 or > > [email protected]. > > > > Read more: > > > http://progress-index.com/news/fort-lee-subcontractor-faces-possible-20-year-prison-term-1.1135712#ixzz1biIQLgCP > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: < > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/private/sprinklerforum/attachments/20111024/57a98f07/attachment.html > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Sprinklerforum mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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