NASA Employee Lied About Pressuring Contractors

SILVER SPRING, MD — A NASA employee at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he lied to federal investigators about pressuring contractors to use a friend's business for work, a business he was also working for while on NASA's payroll.

Nathaniel Wright, 55, of Silver Spring, pleaded guilty Wednesday to making false statements in connection with an investigation into his interactions with contractors.

According to the plea agreement, in late 2009 and early 2010, while Wright was employed full-time at NASA, he also worked as a contract employee for a friend’s small business that performed work for several government agencies. Wright assisted the small business in the preparation and submission of bids to other government agencies.

From 2009 through 2012, Wright’s official duties at NASA included significant responsibilities with respect to three contracts, including an $800 million contract, a $450 million contract and a $1.2 billion contract. Wright admitted that, while working in his official capacity with NASA, gave his resume to one of the contractors and said that he was looking for a position with their company. Prosecutors say Wright suggested he would wait to consider the contractor’s proposals until a position had been considered, and he also pressed a contractor to use his friend’s business to perform work in an area for which it had no experience.

On more than one instance Wright pressed contractors to direct work to his friend’s business, even though the business had no expertise in the type of work called for under the contract, authorities say.

During an interview with NASA’s Office of Inspector General about his conduct, Wright admitted he lied multiple times about giving his resume to the contractor and pressuring contractors to use his friend’s company.

Wright faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for making false statements when he is sentenced on Jan. 25.