West Haven Housing Authority
Outcome
Michael Siwek, former Executive Director of the West Haven Housing Authority, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,503,096.91 in restitution plus $363,781.70 in back taxes for accepting approximately $1.5 million in bribes from contractors over five years in exchange for steering housing authority contracts.
Details
West Haven Housing Authority — Executive Director Bribery Scheme (2007–2012)
Outcome: Michael Siwek, 56, former Executive Director of the West Haven Housing Authority, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,503,096.91 in restitution plus $363,781.70 in back taxes for receiving approximately $1.5 million in bribes from contractors in exchange for awarding housing authority business and contracts.
From approximately February 2007 through February 2012, Siwek received approximately $1.5 million in payments from multiple individuals in exchange for the awarding of business and contracts with the West Haven Housing Authority (WHHA) and entities that the WHHA controlled. The bribery scheme spanned five years and involved multiple contractors who paid bribes ranging from approximately $290,000 to $350,000 individually.
On September 4, 2014, Siwek pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with a program receiving federal funds, one count of bribery, and one count of tax evasion — reflecting his failure to report the illegal bribe income. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford, Connecticut.
Multiple contractors were separately charged and sentenced for their roles in paying bribes to Siwek. The case was investigated by the FBI's New Haven Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.
Primary Source: Former West Haven Housing Authority Director Sentenced to Prison for Receiving $1.5 Million in Bribes
How Crucible Prevents This
Siwek's bribery scheme ran for five years across multiple contractors. Crucible's procurement integrity hook would have flagged the concentration of no-bid and directed contracts with vendors who had financial relationships with the executive director. A contractor conflict-of-interest disclosure control requiring annual certification from all contracting parties that no undisclosed financial relationships existed would have created legal exposure earlier. The $1.5 million in bribe payments over five years represents roughly $300,000 per year — a red flag detectable by any anomalous payment-pattern analysis.
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