A Washington, D.C. man has admitted to bribing a United States General Services Administration (GSA) official, according to court documents. James Tillman, 57, confessed to bribing a former GSA contracting officer representative known as Public Official A. The GSA is responsible for managing federal property.
Tillman was the sole owner of a general construction company that performed subcontracting work on GSA projects. The announcement was made by Phil Selden, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon from the Justice Department Criminal Division; Robert C. Erickson, Deputy Inspector General at the GSA Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG); William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Kelly P. Mayo, Deputy Inspector General at the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG), Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and Joseph V. Cuffari Ph.D., Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG).
Court documents reveal that in 2020 and 2021, Tillman provided approximately $59,800 worth of money and items to Public Official A in exchange for directing GSA federal-project work to his company. In 2020, he paid around $8,000 in cash to Public Official A in a parking lot in Clinton, Maryland. In 2021, under Public Official A's direction, Tillman purchased a sports car for them. His company profited more than $100,000 from this scheme.
Tillman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery of a federal public official. He faces up to 20 years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman has scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Phil Selden commended the investigative work done by GSA-OIG, FBI Baltimore Field Office, DOD-OIG, and DHS-OIG. He also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson for prosecuting the case.
For further information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its resources available to help the community visit www.justice.gov/usao-md.
