Politics & Government
Admitted Kickback Leader Seeks New Counsel
Ralph M. Mariano filed a motion to get new legal representation in U.S. District Court, according to the Providence Journal.
The admitted leader of a $20-million kickback scheme involving contracts with the U.S. Navy is seeking new legal representation.
Ralph M. Mariano, who pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, theft of government property, and tax evasion in late May, filed the motion in U.S. District Court, the Providence Journal reported Wednesday.
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Mariano, 54, of Arlington, VA, a former engineer with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), is scheduled for a Sept. 5 sentencing for his crimes of accepting bribes as a public official from Portsmouth resident Russell E. Spencer.
Mariano admitted to accepting kickbacks of naval funds from Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow (ASFT), a Middletown company.
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Mariano's girlfriend, Warwick lawyer Mary O'Rourke, previously pleaded guilty to charges of theft of government property and was offered probation, on the condition that Mariano admitted his guilt.
Ralph Mariano Jr., Mariano's father, also pleaded guilty on May 15 to four counts of income-tax evasion in connection with the kickback scheme.
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