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Ex-Boeing Worker Accused Of Giving Inside Info

A federal grand jury in St. Louis has indicted a former Boeing Co. procurement officer on charges he gave inside information to a Washington state shop owner and others, netting the subcontractors more than $3.5 million in orders for aircraft parts.

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A federal grand jury in St. Louis has indicted a former Boeing Co. procurement officer on charges he gave inside information to a Washington state shop owner and others, netting the subcontractors more than $3.5 million in orders for aircraft parts.

The indictment filed in federal court in St. Louis and made public Monday says Deon E. Anderson, of the St. Louis area, gave Jeffrey Lavelle, of Mukilteo, Wash., and others non-public competitor bid and historical price information in return for cash payments. It says Anderson did so without Boeing's knowledge.

Lavelle owned and operated J.L. Manufacturing, an aerospace machine shop in Everett, Wash., that specializes in hard metals.

The indictment charges Anderson and Lavelle with mail fraud and wire fraud. It also charges Robert Diaz Jr., of Alta Loma, Calif., and William P. Boozer, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., with fraud. Diaz owned and operated Inland Empire and Associates, which consulted for J.L. Manufacturing on Boeing subcontracts, according to court papers. Boozer owned and operated Globe Dynamics International, also a Boeing parts subcontractor.

According to the indictment, Lavelle used the information from Anderson to prepare and submit about nine different bids to Boeing on behalf of his company. His company was awarded seven purchase orders to supply military aircraft parts to Boeing, totaling more than $2 million, court papers say. The alleged fraud took place between May 2011 and last April.

Boozer also used inside information from Anderson to submit about 16 different bids to Boeing, according to the indictment. The company won seven orders to supply military aircraft parts to Boeing, totaling more than $1.5 million.

Messages left with Anderson at his home, and with Lavelle, Diaz and Boozer at their companies Tuesday were not immediately returned.

Diaz was arrested Monday and is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Diego, while the other three men are expected to surrender to officials in St. Louis with their attorneys, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Attorney's Office in St. Louis said Tuesday.


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