Bribing of U.S. Official Brings 90-Day Sentence
The former owner of a Canoga Park machine shop that received government contracts has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and placed on five years’ probation for bribing a Department of Defense official.
Khandubhai (Kay) Patel, 34, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Alicemarie H. Stotler on one count of bribery, Assistant U.S. Atty. Gary Feess said. He will begin serving his term Aug. 25.
Patel, former owner of Defense Control Systems, had pleaded guilty June 3 to paying a quality assurance inspector $1,500 to certify improperly manufactured parts as meeting government specifications. Patel had originally been charged with three more counts of attempting to bribe, Feess said.
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 that included components for .50-caliber machine guns.
Patel’s sentence includes an order to perform 300 hours of community service.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
