Former Navy senior chief sentenced in procurement fraud scheme

Norfolk, Va. — Prosecutors in Virginia say a former U.S. Navy senior chief has been sentenced for his involvement in a procurement fraud scheme that resulted in a $2.3 million loss to the Navy.

The Virginian-Pilot reports 42-year-old Clayton Pressley III, of Chesapeake, was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday.

Court documents show that Pressley conspired with two others to form a sham government contracting firm in May 2014. The company was ostensibly formed to provide “inert training aids” to Navy units.

A U.S. Attorney’s Office news release says the conspirators manipulated the government procurement process to contract with themselves and signed fraudulent documentation indicating the company had delivered product when it had not.

The Navy would pay the company through intermediaries and ultimately the conspirators would distribute the proceeds among themselves.