In connection with the suspected supply of tainted rocket fuel to NASA and the Department of Defense, U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery stated that a Texas transportation business had entered a guilty plea to fraud.
According to a press statement, Gary Monéteau and Brant Charpiot, corporate representatives of Anahuac Transport Inc., admitted their misconduct in forging records on the company’s behalf.
For a period of two years, the corporation and its representatives agreed to be barred from participating in their federal government contract. According to their plea agreement, the corporation agreed to forfeit $251,401, which represents total proceeds traceable to the commission of the felony, in addition to paying a $1,500 fine.
Anahuac was awarded a subcontract with NASA and the Department of Defense to transport chemicals in tanker trailers from 2012 through 2020.
Anahuac was needed to ensure that the tanker trailer they utilized had not previously contained specific substances that could have had an undesirable reaction with the fuel in order to prevent contamination from occurring.
But Anahuac knowingly fabricated its records, saying the company had never previously hauled incompatible chemicals with its tanker trucks before doing so in the first place. Prosecutors asserted that this had indeed occurred.
According to the announcement, Anahuac transported the rocket fuel in infected trailers, resulting in NASA deploying tainted fuel for rocket launches as a result of the contamination.
The date for the sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 12. A $500,000 fine and up to five years of probation are also possible penalties for the company’s representatives.