Fuses Trigger Investigation, Government Defuses Explosive Situation
The troubles of a federal employee who helped create a potentially deadly problem have just begun.
Daniel L. Powell, a federal Quality Assurance representative at the Defense Contract Management office in Pittsburgh, Pa., has been convicted of making false claims against the government and faces a maximum sentence of up to 45 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $2.25 million.
Powell performed oversight duties on a contract the U.S. Army held with Talon Manufacturing Co. Inc., located in Wyoming County, W.Va. It was Powell''s job to ensure that time fuses from military munitions were properly "demilitarized" and made safe by Talon before being disposed.
Instead, Powell entered into an agreement with Talon to accept false certifications from the company on 453,153 fuses. Powell falsely stipulated that the munitions had been made safe. The government was then charged $346,630 for services that were not performed.
The fuses were stored at SADCO Recovery Inc.''s bunkers at Jumping Branch and Point Pleasant, W.Va., in a manner that could have led to an explosion. The government seized approximately 800,000 non-demilitarized fuses from SADCO, which is owned by the owners of Talon. The Army eventually will have to spend approximately $2.5 million to make the recovered fuses safe for disposal.
The Environmental Protection Agency''s Criminal Investigation Division and National Enforcement Investigations Center provided investigative assistance to the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Commission on Special Investigations of the State of West Virginia in the investigation of this case. The U.S. Attorney''s Office in Charleston, W.Va., is prosecuting the case.
by Sandy Smith ([email protected])
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EHS Today Staff
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Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.
Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.
Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.