Man Gets Jail Term in Defense Fraud Scheme

A former employee of a defense subcontractor was sentenced Monday to 20 weekends in jail for his role in a scheme to produce 9 million untested bolts for military aircraft, including the B-1 bomber.

William R. Whitham, a former shop floor manager for McHaffie Inc. of Sylmar, also was ordered by U.S. District Judge Wallace Tashima to perform 150 hours of community service and serve three years of probation.

Whitham, 37, had pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements to the Defense Department as part of an eight-year scheme to cut costs by producing bolts that were not tested.

“This was the longest-running fraud on a defense contract ever uncovered,” said Assistant U.S. Atty. Stephen Mansfield.

Sentencing was set for July 2 for the company’s president, Norman McHaffie, and former quality control supervisor James Hicks.