Local News in Brief : Manufacturer Admits Guilt in Bribery Case

The owner of a Canoga Park machine parts manufacturing firm pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to bribing a Defense Department inspector to certify faulty parts.

Khandubai Patel, 33, owner and operator of Defense Control Systems at 8135 Remmet Ave., was charged with paying the inspector $1,500 to sign a certificate stating that improperly manufactured parts, including components for .50-caliber machine guns, met government specifications.

Patel could receive a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Assistant U.S. Atty. Gary Feess said. U.S. District Judge Alicemarie H. Stotler scheduled sentencing for July 14.

Feess said Patel had tried to bribe the same inspector in January. The inspector reported the attempted bribe to federal authorities and the FBI and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service took the case.

The inspector, wearing a hidden microphone and tape recorder, was paid by Patel at a meeting in February, Feess said. The bribe involved a $50,000 parts shipment.