Electrical poles down along roads in Playa Punta Santiago in Humacao, Puerto Rico, that were ... [+]
Topline: A top FEMA official was arrested Tuesday after being indicted for taking bribes from the president of an Oklahoma-based energy company—who was also arrested—in exchange for a contract to rebuild Puerto Rico’s power grid after Hurricane Maria struck the island in 2017.
- The Department of Justice alleges that Ahsha Nateef Tribble accepted gifts from Cobra Acquisitions president Donald Keith Ellison, which included personal helicopter use, hotel accommodations, airfare, personal security services and the use of a credit card.
- Ellison also secured Tribble’s former chief of staff Jovanda Patterson a job at Cobra. Patterson was also arrested.
- In exchange, the DOJ alleges, Tribble used her power as a deputy regional administrator assigned to Puerto Rico to help Cobra win two contracts worth $1.8 billion to rebuild the island’s energy grid, which were paid out with federal FEMA funds.
- Tribble was put on unpaid leave when the investigation started in May, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Crucial Quote: “These defendants were supposed to come to Puerto Rico to help during the recovery after the devastation suffered from Hurricane María. Instead, they decided to take advantage of the precarious conditions of our electric power grid and engaged in a bribery and honest services wire fraud scheme in order to enrich themselves illegally,” said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.
Big Picture: The Cobra contract is the second energy deal to come under scrutiny from federal officials in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The first contract, awarded to Whitefish Energy, fell apart after a Washington Post story reported that Whitefish was an inexperienced company with only two full time employees.
Key Background: Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, leading to nearly 3,000 deaths and the destruction of the island’s power grid. Some home and businesses were left without power for nearly a year after the storm.
What’s Next: Tribble, Ellison and Patterson each face up to 35 years if found guilty.
