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FORMER CHRYSLER OFFICIAL PLEADS GUILTY
Release Date: 03/09/2001
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2001
Lenard Leniczek of Mayville, Mich., a former manager at Chrysler headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., pleaded guilty on Feb.21 to bribery for assisting Hi-Po, Inc., Ypsilanti, Mich., to obtain an unfair advantage in bidding for contracts with Chrysler. Hi-Po, an environmental consulting firm, previously pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and two of Hi-Po’s officers, Aaron Smith of Northville, Mich., and Steven Carbeck of Ann Arbor, Mich., previously pleaded guilty to violating the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in connection with a scheme to obtain environmental work under false pretenses. In a plea agreement, Leniczek admitted that he received $19,000 from Smith for assisting Hi-Po to obtain a blanket contract to perform services for Chrysler, for obtaining additional work for Hi-Po from Chrysler, for providing Hi-Po with confidential information submitted by Hi-Po’s competitors and for otherwise helping Hi-Po in gaining an unfair advantage in bidding for potential jobs at Chrysler. When sentenced, Leniczek faces a maximum sentence of up to seven months in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and the University of Michigan Department of Public Safety. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit.
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