Three men have been sentenced for their involvement in a conspiracy to bribe a public official, as announced by United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona. U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke handed down the sentences: Coogan Preston, 56, from Columbia, South Carolina, received 64 months; Francisco Guerra, 56, from Lexington, Alabama, was sentenced to 60 months; and Jason Ingram, 48, from Rogersville, Alabama, was given 24 months. The three had pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy charges.
The scheme reportedly began in 2016 and continued until 2021. According to plea agreements, Guerra provided money and other valuables to Preston, who was a government contracting official at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. In return for these bribes, Preston identified subcontracting opportunities for Guerra's companies and persuaded the prime contractor to use one of them as a subcontractor.
U.S. Attorney Escalona stated: “The government officials and contractors working on Redstone Arsenal play a critical role in supporting the United States military.” She added that those sentenced prioritized personal gain over professional duty.
Demetrius Hardeman of IRS Criminal Investigation remarked on Preston's actions: “As a government contracting official, Preston traded the public’s trust given to him for greed.” He credited IRS special agents with using investigative skills to trace financial transactions leading to justice.
Jason Sargenski of DCIS emphasized their commitment: “In collaboration with its investigative partners...DCIS remains steadfast in working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who commit fraud against the U.S. Government are held accountable.”
The case was investigated by several agencies including the Department of the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division and others. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Peeples prosecuted the cases.
