By KIMBERLEY HAAS
A Virginia man who worked as an assistant inspector general for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison after being convicted of engaging in a scheme to steer government contracts to a personal friend.
Eghbal “Eddie” Saffarinia, 63, of Front Royal, was sentenced on Thursday, according to a press release issued by officials at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Saffarinia was employed by HUD-OIG from 2012 to 2017 and oversaw the Office of Information Technology. He was also the head of contracting activity, according to court paperwork.
Prosecutors claim tens of millions of dollars in government business was affected.
Saffarinia allegedly concealed material facts about the nature and extent of his relationship with the owner and chief executive officer of an information technology company. He received payments and loans totaling $80,000 while disclosing confidential internal government information and providing preferential treatment, according to officials.
Saffarinia failed to mention this financial relationship and another large promissory note on his public financial disclosure forms.
A federal jury convicted Saffarinia on Sept. 19, 2022, of one count of concealing material facts, three counts of making false statements, and three counts of falsifying a record or document. He faced a maximum penalty of 80 years in prison.
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