Mark 1 Restoration Company and its owner Mark Snedden have agreed to a $7,257,232.12 resolution of civil claims related to kickbacks paid to an Amtrak official for favorable contract changes at Philadelphia’s William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, according to a July 17 announcement by United States Attorney David Metcalf.
Snedden previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from the kickback scheme, along with Mark 1 executives Donald Seefeldt, Lee Maniatis, and Khaled Dallo. The cases were prosecuted under United States v. Mark Snedden (No. 25-cr-120), United States v. Donald Seefeldt (No. 24-cr-419), United States v. Lee Maniatis (No. 24-cr-260), and United States v. Khaled Dallo (No. 24-cr-079) in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
According to court documents and admissions during Snedden’s guilty plea, he and other executives conspired to provide an Amtrak employee overseeing the renovation project with gifts valued at approximately $323,686—including vacations, jewelry, cash, dinners, entertainment, a dog, and dog training—in exchange for change orders or contract modifications that increased the project’s total cost.
The filings state that these modifications falsely inflated some work costs and resulted in more than $2 million in overbilling to Amtrak. As part of the civil settlement agreement, Mark 1 and Snedden will pay $2.4 million and release any claim on an additional $4,857,232.12 that Amtrak retained or did not pay after discovering the scheme.
“Integrity in federal contracting isn’t optional,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf, “If you try to buy favors or submit false certifications, expect both civil and criminal consequences.” Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division said, “Bribery strikes at the heart of the rule of law… Together with our partners, the FBI is committed to investigating corruption…and holding accountable those who abuse their positions for personal profit.” James Harper from Amtrak OIG stated, “When contractors and insiders manipulate procurement through bribes…taxpayers ultimately pay the price.” Brian C. Gallagher from DOT OIG added, “Kickback schemes that erode integrity…undermine public trust…”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, and Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. The civil matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Carr and Landon Y. Jones. The settlement resolves allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.