A federal contracting officer and three businessmen pleaded guilty Thursday to participating in a $550 million bribery scheme involving the embattled US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Roderick Watson, of Maryland, is alleged to have received bribes valued in excess of $1 million while working at USAID in exchange for using his position as a trusted overseer of taxpayer money to direct 14 prime federal contracts to two consulting companies, Apprio and Vistant.
Watson, 57, pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official and faces up to 15 years in prison. He’s scheduled to be sentenced in October.
As part of the elaborate scheme, Walter Barnes, owner of Vistant, and Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio, used Paul Young, the president of a subcontractor used by both Vistant and Apprio, as a middleman to conceal some of the bribes destined for Watson, according to the Justice Department.
USAID official pleads guilty to taking part in $550M bribery scheme: ‘Violated the public trust’ https://t.co/lS4GPkVsYw pic.twitter.com/TzBEDdtltl
— New York Post (@nypost) June 14, 2025
