Summary

On May 17, 2012, Bowman Plating Company, Inc. (Bowman), a chemical processing company located in Compton, California, was charged in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California for providing false statements related to chemical processing of aircraft parts sold to commercial aviation companies and to the Department of Defense.  

In 2007, we began investigating allegations that Bowman received failed test results for chemical process control tests, but had not notified its customers of the failures.  In 2006, several companies retained Bowman to complete chemical film coating for their aircraft parts.  The companies submitted purchase orders listing the required specifications for the coating.  After the coating was performed, Bowman issued certificates of conformance (COCs) certifying that the aircraft parts were processed in accordance with applicable specifications, and the parts were shipped to customers.  Also in 2006, Bowman retained a third party testing company to perform a chemical process control test related to the chemical film coating.  Following testing, the testing company issued a report documenting that the test had failed.  Although the parts and the COCs had been shipped, Bowman did not notify its customers of the failure, so intermediary and end users of the parts were not aware of the testing failures.                   

This investigation is being conducted jointly with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. 

Note:  Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints are only accusations by the Government.  All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.