Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SAN DIEGO – Russell Thurston, a former executive vice president at Cambridge International Systems, Inc., a defense contractor headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he participated in a bribery scheme with other Cambridge employees and former Naval Information Warfare Center employee James Soriano.
According to Thurston’s plea agreement, Cambridge – acting through Thurston and multiple other Cambridge employees – gave various things of value to Soriano, including expensive meals at restaurants in San Diego; a ticket to the 2018 Major League Baseball All Star Game held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.; and a job at Cambridge for Soriano’s friend, Liberty Gutierrez. According to Gutierrez’s plea agreement, Gutierrez did minimal work at Cambridge and gave Soriano $2,000 a month from her Cambridge salary.
In return, Soriano, acting in his position as a contracting officer’s representative at Naval Information Warfare Center, influenced the procurement process to ensure that Cambridge was awarded two large task orders. Soriano further ensured that Cambridge was able to capture a steady stream of government funds by influencing a series of projects on those task orders to be approved. According to Cambridge’s plea agreement, as a result of the conspiracy, the government obligated more than $32 million on one of the task orders and over $100 million on the other.
Soriano also allowed Cambridge employees to draft various procurement documents for him, even when Cambridge was competing for contracts against other bidders. Thurston and Soriano also worked together to remove document properties so that other government employees would not know of Cambridge’s involvement in drafting the documents.
According to Thurston’s plea agreement, Thurston received periodic pay bonuses from Cambridge – which totaled between $150,000 and $250,000 – based on the profits Cambridge received from the bribery conspiracy.
Thurston is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson for sentencing on April 11, 2025.
“The integrity of our nation’s procurement system relies upon the honest dealing of government contractors,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “This guilty plea shows a commitment to that principle by holding accountable a defendant who repeatedly bribed a government employee to benefit himself at the expense of others.”
“This investigation clearly established Mr. Thurston’s guilt and his plea is a positive step toward accountability for his role in the crime,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working jointly with the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate and deter public corruption within the Department of Defense.”
“Mr. Thurston’s actions directly undermined the Department of Defense contracting process that ensures our warfighters get the best gear for their missions while ensuring our taxpayer dollars are responsibly allocated,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Our men and women in uniform volunteer to put their lives on the line in defense of the United States and they deserve better than to be put at unnecessary risk. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to partnering with fellow law enforcement agencies to protect our servicemembers from this sort of corruption.”
“Using a position of public trust as a means to inequitably grant access to federal programs for personal gain will not be tolerated,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge, Weston King. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of those who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
Cambridge was separately charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in 24-cr-00759-TWR. Cambridge was ordered to forfeit the $1,672,102.23 in profits it obtained from the bribery conspiracy and pay a $2.25 million fine.
Soriano was charged as a co-defendant and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and fraud and false statement in filing a tax return in 24-cr-0341-TWR. Soriano was also separately charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in 23-cr-2282-TWR. Soriano is next scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson for sentencing on May 9, 2025.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Swan, Katherine E.A. McGrath, and Carling E. Donovan.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24-cr-0341-TWR-2
Russell Thurston Age: 52 Mt. Pleasant, SC
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; maximum $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation
Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General
If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098.