Mark Snedden, the president of a masonry contractor based in Munster, Indiana, has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and making a false claim. This was announced by United States Attorney David Metcalf after Snedden's plea before Judge Wendy Beetlestone at the United States District Court.
The charges stem from a $58,473,000 contract awarded to Snedden's company by Amtrak in December 2015 for the façade repair and restoration of the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. While Snedden was responsible for overseeing the project's execution, three vice presidents – Donald Seefeldt, Lee Maniatis, and Khaled Dallo – managed the Contractor’s performance on the site.
The company was under a strict agreement prohibiting any exchanges of cash, gifts, or incentives to Amtrak employees. However, Snedden admitted involvement in a scheme that provided Amtrak Employee #1 with gifts totaling approximately $323,686 from May 2016 to November 2019. The gifts included vacations, jewelry, cash, and other items to influence the employee's decisions regarding project approvals and changes.
Amtrak Employee #1, in return, accessed and shared internal information with Snedden and other company officials. This cooperation led to the approval of additional project changes, raising the work's total value by over $52 million and resulting in substantial overbilling of over $2 million.
The conspiracy and subsequent actions were investigated by the FBI, Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell is prosecuting the case.
Sentencing for Snedden is scheduled for August 13, with a potential maximum prison term of 10 years.
