Defense Contractor Guilty of Bribery

Nov 06, 03:34 PM

Current Headlines: A Southern California defense contractor faces as long as 20 years in prison for bribing former Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham.

Brent Wilkes was convicted Monday in federal court of conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and wire fraud involving theft of honest services, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. His lawyer, Mark Geragos, promised an appeal.

Jurors deliberated for about four days after a three-week trial. The forewoman told the newspaper that she was impressed by testimony from witnesses who included Joel Combs, Wilkes' nephew and an employee at his company, ADCS Inc., and unconvinced by Wilkes' own testimony.

Cunningham, a California Republican who pleaded guilty, is now serving an eight-year sentence. Wilkes was found guilty of providing bribes that included paying Cunningham's mortgage.

Wilkes faces another trial with Kyle Dusty Foggo, former executive director of the CIA, the agency's No. 3 official. He is accused of bribing Foggo to win CIA contracts.