Government Employee Charged with Conflict of Interest

Joan Freitag Ryan, 50, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, was charged today by Indictment with failing to disclose a conflict of interest in a matter in which she participated substantially as a public official, accepting a gratuity, and making false statements to various government agencies, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. While employed as an Administrative Officer for the General Services Administration (“GSA”), the indictment alleges, Joan Freitag Ryan sat on a Source Selection Board choosing among bidders for a particular contract. Ryan allegedly did not reveal that she had a business relationship with a contractor bidding for the work, or that she had accepted free football tickets from that contractor. Ryan also allegedly communicated with the same contractor, and scored that contractor the highest among all competitors. In addition, the Indictment alleges that, as an employee of GSA, and later, as an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ryan did not truthfully disclose her private financial and business interests.

If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 37 years in prison, a 3-year period of supervised release, a $2 million fine and an $800 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Abrams.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525