Third Company Owner Guilty Of Bribing Postal Inspector

Ronald R. Bassak and his construction company, Meccon, Inc., have admitted in federal district court that he and his company paid a U.S. Postal Service contracting officer approximately $100,000 in bribes to secure contracts for his company. During the investigation, the contracting officer committed suicide. 

Bassak pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of a felony, or withholding information on a crime. He entered a plea on behalf of his company to one count of bribery of a public official. Bassak faces a sentence of up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to one year of supervised release. The company faces a maximum penalty of at least one and up to five years' probation and a possible $500,000 fine.
 
According to a statement of facts read during the plea hearings, special agents of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General interviewed Bassak in June 2009. Bassak said Postal Service contracting officer Ashvin Shah had solicited bribes from him in return for awarding future Postal Service construction contracts to Meccon Inc. Bassak paid Shah approximately $100,000 over four years.
 
Bassak is the third company owner to plead guilty in connection with the scheme. Jeffrey G. Baker, owner of the Cleveland based Margus Company, pleaded guilty in January. He was sentenced to two years' probation and fined $10,000. Michael Murray and his company, the Three R Construction Company of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in April 2010. Sentencing for Murray and Three R is scheduled for September 3.
 
Shah committed suicide at his Westerville home in June 2009.