ORANGE COUNTY
Guilty Pleas Entered in Kickback Case: A Huntington Beach tool manufacturing company and its president pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud charges in a defense contracting kickback scheme, federal prosecutors said. Richard Berry, 36, and Advanced Cutting Tools Inc., pleaded guilty to two counts each of mail fraud in federal court in Los Angeles. Berry is accused of paying $50,000 in kickbacks to Paul David Shoemaker, 52, of Mission Viejo, who faked invoices that allowed Advanced Cutting to bill another defense contractor for work that wasn’t done. Berry is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 15. He faces 10 years imprisonment and $500,000 in fines. The company faces a maximum fine of $1 million.
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