Retired Colonel Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor Charge of Self-Dealing

KSAL Staff - Thu 11:24 AM 10/18/2012

According to U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom's Office, 60-year-old Antonio Monaco of Leavenworth pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge of self-dealing in connection with a government contract to a company he owned.

A retired colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve is facing federal charges in connection with a government contract to a company he owned.

According to U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom's Office, 60-year-old Antonio Monaco of Leavenworth pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge of self-dealing in connection with a government contract to a company he owned.

Monaco was a member of the 89th Army Reserve Command in Wichita. In his plea, he admitted that in 2005 in his capacity as a colonel of the U.S. Army Reserve he attended a presentation by a U.S. Department of Defense contractor to the 84th Training Command regarding data and video compression software. After the presentation, Monaco suggested to the contractor that a company he founded, Keystone Group, Inc., be the entity to provide the exclusive software for the task. In doing so, he participated personally and substantially, though not willfully, as a government officer in a contract in which he had a personal interest.

In Aug. 2005, the contractor learned that Monaco owned Keystone Group, Inc., and took action not to direct funds from the contract to the Keystone. Monaco already delivered the software as part of the contract and the Army continued to use the software from Keystone. Monaco dropped the request for payment. As a result, neither he nor his company received payment.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 15. Monaco faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine up to $100,000.

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