FBI OFFERS $150,000 REWARD FOR ONUR SIMSEK, ACCUSED OF DEFENSE PROCUREMENT FRAUD INVOLVING U.S. MILITARY PARTS

TAMPA, Fla. — The FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Onur Simsek, a Turkish national accused of participating in a years-long defense procurement fraud scheme involving military components supplied to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Simsek has been added to the FBI’s newly established Most Wanted Fraudsters list, which the bureau says highlights individuals charged with defrauding the American people.

Federal authorities allege that between April 2019 and February 2022, Simsek and others used a company in Central Florida as a front to obtain U.S. government contracts for critical military components.

According to the FBI, the company represented itself to the federal government and military contractors as a vetted and qualified U.S. manufacturer of military components. Investigators allege that parts were instead manufactured in Turkey, shipped to the United States, and repackaged to make them appear compliant with contractual domestic-production requirements and military product specifications.

The FBI says some of the components were intended for use in major U.S. military systems, including Navy Nimitz-class and Ford-class aircraft carriers, Navy submarines, Marine Corps armored vehicles, Army M-60 series tanks, and Abrams battle tanks.

According to the FBI, once the scheme was uncovered, the parts were tested and found not to conform to product specifications. According to the FBI wanted notice, many of the components were classified as critical application items, meaning a component failure could potentially render the larger military system inoperable.

The allegations therefore extend beyond financial losses or false contracting certifications. Federal officials said the scheme created a potential military supply-chain and national-security risk by placing allegedly noncompliant components into procurement channels serving U.S. weapons platforms and military vehicles.

The FBI alleges that hundreds of thousands of dollars obtained through the contracts were also laundered back to Turkey through international wire transfers.

A federal arrest warrant was issued for Simsek on October 25, 2023, by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa.

He is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States government, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, conspiracy to commit export-control violations, violation of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act.

Those charges remain allegations. Simsek has not been convicted of the offenses underlying the outstanding federal warrant and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The FBI alleges that Simsek’s involvement in federal contracting occurred despite prior restrictions on his ability to do business with the U.S. government.

U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida said Simsek was barred from doing business with the federal government in 2018 but subsequently participated in an alleged conspiracy involving Department of Defense contracts.

Kehoe said prosecutors contend Simsek concealed information, made misrepresentations, and submitted false claims while pursuing personal financial gain through military procurement contracts.

Elisa Pellegrini, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Investigations Division, said Simsek had been debarred from U.S. government contracting following a prior conviction involving similar conduct.

That prior history is separate from the current federal case. The procurement, fraud, money laundering, and export-control counts associated with the outstanding warrant remain pending allegations.

FBI Tampa Special Agent in Charge Rodney E. Crawford said investigators believe the alleged deception had the potential to compromise national security and place American personnel at risk.

Crawford said the investigation demonstrates the importance of cooperation between federal law enforcement agencies in detecting procurement fraud and protecting sensitive technology and intellectual property.

Nakia M. Alexander, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service Southeast Field Office, said false certifications and the alleged introduction of substandard components into military supply chains represent risks extending beyond financial fraud.

Defense procurement systems rely on contractors to meet exact manufacturing, testing, sourcing, documentation, and quality-control requirements. Parts designed for aircraft carriers, submarines, armored vehicles, and battle tanks can be subject to demanding technical standards because a defective component may affect the readiness, reliability, or safety of the larger platform in which it is installed.

The allegations against Simsek center in part on the government’s contention that foreign-manufactured components were presented as products meeting U.S. manufacturing and procurement requirements.

Export-control charges add another dimension to the case. The federal charges also include alleged violations of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Arms Export Control Act.

The federal charges include alleged violations of those laws in connection with the broader procurement scheme. The existence of the charges does not establish guilt.

GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst said the alleged conduct also affected taxpayers, legitimate businesses competing for federal contracts, and military personnel who depend on properly manufactured equipment.

The case highlights a broader vulnerability in government procurement: a contractor can potentially create risk not only by overbilling or falsifying invoices but also by misrepresenting where a component was manufactured, who produced it, whether it meets contractual specifications, and whether the supplier is legally permitted to perform federal work.

Those representations can become especially significant when contracts involve military systems or components categorized as operationally critical.

The FBI’s wanted poster provides additional identifying information for Simsek.

He was born March 10, 1981, in Turkey. The FBI describes him as approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall and 185 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. The wanted notice states that Simsek has scars on his abdomen and lower left arm.

The FBI believes Simsek is currently residing in Turkey.

His placement on the Most Wanted Fraudsters list expands the government’s effort to locate him by placing his identity, photograph, charges, and reward before an international audience.

The $150,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to both Simsek’s arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information concerning Simsek’s location is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit information through tips.fbi.gov.

Individuals may also contact any FBI field office. Those outside the United States can contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

The FBI states that tipsters may remain anonymous.

Until Simsek is located and brought before a court, the federal warrant remains active and the charges against him remain unresolved.

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