United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

SPRINGFIELD MAN ADMITS MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS RELATED TO FEDERAL SECURITY GUARDS’ FIREARMS TESTING

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MICHAEL M. DAKIN, 67, of Springfield, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty yesterday, January 15, before United States District Judge Janet B. Arterton in New Haven to one count of making a false statement.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, DAKIN was employed as a contract manager by a company responsible for supplying security guards for federal buildings in Connecticut.  In pleading guilty, DAKIN admitted that, in April 2001, he completed a pistol qualification record portion of a GSA Form 2790 reflecting that a security guard employed by his company had met the minimum qualification score for the practical pistol course when, in fact, the guard had not taken or passed the practical pistol course.  DAKIN also inaccurately added on that form:  “As you can see [the security guard] received his training on April 22, 2001.”  In fact, the guard was not working for the Contractor that day.

On November 8, 2007, Dennis J. Covini, the co-owner of the firm that provided the firearms qualification testing, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud, admitting that he falsely certified on a number of forms reflecting that security guards had passed written tests in furtherance of those guards obtaining State of Connecticut certifications, which authorized them to carry firearms.

After learning of this scheme, the Federal Protective Services retested guards who had been certified by the company.  When retested, several of those guards did not pass.

Judge Arterton has scheduled sentencing for April 4, 2008, at which time DAKIN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This matter is being investigated by the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov