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Post GAzeTTe 77-15-09 31 Defense contractor tied to Murtha pleads guilty to taking kickbacks By Dennis B. Roddy of Coherent Systems Interna- tional, is now expected.to coop-- 4bA-PQ-77123 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. erate in a wider case involving. A former defense contractor a former Air Force contract with ties to U.S. Rep. John P. supervisor accused of hiding. Murtha entered a plea of guilty his financial ties to a Florida! in a Florida courtroom yester- engineering firm that did mil- day to accepting $200,000 in lions of dollars in defense work. kickbacks.from a Pennsylvania He entered guilty pleas to -two : subcontractor in a case that separate criminal complaints: reaches from Pensacola beaches charges filed in Pittsburgh for to Somerset County's-hills. Richard Ianieri, former CEO SEE MURTHA, PAGE B-2 Contractor tied to Murtha pleads g! MURTHA,EROM PAGE B-1: . in Windber as well as the House Appropriations defense homes of Ronald and William subcommittee, Mr..Murtha accepting kickbacks, and'a lon. Kuchera, brothers who own wields broad powers to allo ger list of accusations in Florida : the company. The raid was cate billions of defense dol- that he defrauded the Air Force part of a probe into allega- lars. in a $6 million contract. tions of overbilling and fraud Matthew Mazonkey, spokes- While prosecutors did not on defense contracts, and the man for Mr. Murtha, yesterday outline full details of the agree. Navy earlier this year sus- said the congressman had no ment, what they described. as pended the Kucheras from control over the contractors. kickbacks matched two con further defense contracts. "This case isn't about ear- sulting agreements Mr. Ianieri Among defense : outlays marks, it's about individuals b6 had with Kuchera Industries, being scrutinized by pros- within.the defense industry b7C a defense contractor based in ecutors was an $8 million and the Defense Department Windber, Somerset County, just earmark written into a 2005 accused of defrauding the gov. outside Johnstown. Kuchera bill for tsunami relief. The Air ernment," Mr. Mazonkey said. has received millions in defense. Force had not requested the "If they broke the law then spending earmarks sponsored earmark, and Mr. Murtha's they should be held account by Mr. Murtha. spokesman yesterday said the able for their actions." In January, agents from congressman had no recollec- the Defense Criminal Inves- tion.of how the earmark was Dennis B.Roddy can be tigative Service, FBI and IRS placed in the tsunami bill.. reached at droddy@post-ga- raided the Kuchera plants As the chairman of the zette.com or 412-263-1965. 1045