BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho woman has pleaded guilty to making a false statement in connection with more than $11 million in government contracts for what she claimed was a small business owned by a service-disabled veteran.
According to court records, the U.S. Attorney's Office said that between October 2012 and May 2018, 61-year-old Vicki Rice of Star willfully made false certifications in the System for Award Management (SAM) about the business CAM Services, Inc.
On behalf of CAM, Rice submitted bids to obtain commissary contracts at two military bases. Both contracts were set-aside contracts for businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans. CAM was awarded both contracts, which had a combined value of more than $11 million over five years.
Organizing documents for CAM listed a person identified as "F.M." as the company's president, with 51 percent ownership, and Rice as vice president, with 49 percent ownership. F.M. is a service-disabled veteran, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, but Rice is not.
Government investigators found Rice, who is not a service-disabled veteran, exercised day-to-day management, administration and long-term decision making for CAM. The investigation revealed that Rice -- not F.M. -- was the actual controller of CAM's finances, taxes, business records and corporate maintenance, payroll, personnel matters, administration, performance under the contracts, and SAM certifications.
The System for Award Management -- SAM -- is the General Services Administration's primary registrant database for federal contractors, who are required to make multiple certifications in SAM before competing for and receiving federal procurement contracts. Contractors also are required to submit annual certifications. In cases when government contracts are set aside for business owned by service-disabled veterans, contractors must certify each year that their business is, in fact, a service-disabled veteran-owned business.
According to Rice's tax returns, Rice earned $480,039 from CAM between 2012 and 2019, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Rafael M. Gonzalez Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho, said the investigation that led to the charges against Rice were a cooperative effort by the Internal Revenue Service as well as the inspectors general for the General Services Administration, Dept. of Defense and Small Business Administration.
Rice is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, 2022, and faces a possible maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors when determining the sentence.
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