Federal OPM Employee Guilty Of Steering IT Contracts To Own Companies

After being convicted of steering OPM-sourced government contracts towards companies controlled by her and her spouse without properly revealing the nature of such relationships ex OPM employee Sheron Spann could face a prison term ranging as high as five years when sentenced this September. All told between 2011 and 2023 associated companies either fronted directly or indirectly by Spann received more than $10 million.

Spanns behavior exemplifies why so critically vital it is for United States Government officials to avoid any semblance of fraud and conflict of interest both in the eyes of the law and also from an ethical standpoint. Disclosing any sort of business relationship with corporations seeking federal contracts is a major factor related to law-abiding behavior.

To avoid concerns like Spanns always keep your eyes open regarding possible conflicts between associates who work with potentially interested parties regarding certain organizations. Should such an issue arise contact supervisors if not higher level authorities asserting intellectual property rights over any potential intellectual theft claims under question. Promote ethical conduct by reporting nefarious actions conducted by questionable business arrangements in your organization.

Always be on your guard concerning unsolicited phone calls or emails from people claiming they operate within federal agencies since authentic communications from these kinds of agencies will never ask for “free” money or unauthorized access into bank accounts among other highly confidential information. Be extra cautious when propositions seem too good to be true since scams come in all shades and sizes during current times where cyber theft has escalated beyond easy-to-refute protection measures.