Navy contractor charged with bribes released

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal magistrate judge released a U.S. Navy contractor charged in a $10 million kickback scheme on bond and restricted his travel.

Anjan Dutta-Gupta, of Roswell, Ga., appeared in federal court in Providence, R.I., on Tuesday on charges he bribed a public official in order to steal from the government.

Dutta-Gupta was released on unsecured bond, but was required to post a $10,000 bond within a week. Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond also restricted Dutta-Gupta’s travel to parts of Georgia, Washington, D.C., and Rhode Island, where his lawyers are based.

The 58-year-old Dutta-Gupta is accused of funneling kickbacks through various subcontractors to Ralph Mariano, a civilian Navy employee from Arlington, Va. In return, Mariano is accused of increasing funding for contracts held by Dutta-Gupta’s company, Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow. The firm held $120 million in Navy contracts when the men were charged last week.

The Roswell, Ga.-based company, which had an office in Middletown, R.I., laid off its entire staff Monday.

Dutta-Gupta and his lawyers declined to comment on the allegations as they left court Tuesday. He has not been indicted, and he did not enter a plea. The date of his next court appearance was not immediately clear.