Former FBI counterintelligence chief Robert Philip McGonigal pled guilty to charges related to a bribery and kickback scheme in a federal court in Washington, DC, on Thursday. He had been charged with illegally funneling millions of federal dollars to a defense contractor for a personal gain.
McGonigal admitted that he used his position as the head of the FBI’s counterintelligence division to secure contracts with the Defense Department for symbolism LLC, a defense firm owned by his friend and former FBI employee Gregg Schulz, who pleaded guilty in the case in October.
McGonigal admitted to steering contracts worth up to $7 million to Schulz’s company, in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks. In addition, Schulz agreed to make payments to McGonigal and his wife, amounting to a quarter of the payments he received from Symbolism.
Schulz’s sentencing has been postponed, while McGonigal is expected to be sentenced on May 2nd. He could face up to five years in prison. The US Attorney’s office said McGonigal will be required to pay back the money he took as part of this scheme.
