Investigations

On May 14, 2019, Frank James Lyon, president of Lyon Associates, Inc., was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Honolulu, Hawaii, to 30 months in prison, 36 months’ supervised release, and a $100 assessment fee. Charged with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and commit Federal program fraud, Lyon pleaded guilty on January 22, 2019.

 

Between 2006 and 2016, Lyon and his co-conspirators bribed officials in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and in the State of Hawaii; in exchange, those officials helped his company obtain and retain contracts valued at more than $10 million. Lyon and others bribed the Hawaiian officials with cash and the FSM officials with cash, vehicles, gifts, and entertainment.

 

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).