A longtime contracting officer at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has pleaded guilty to accepting over $1 million in bribes, federal prosecutors announced, marking the latest development in what the Department of Justice (DOJ) described as a $550 million corruption case involving government contracts.

Roderick Watson, 57, admitted to accepting cash, electronics, NBA tickets, and other favors from contractors over the course of a decade in exchange for awarding USAID contracts, says the IRS. The DOJ said Watson worked closely with Walter Barnes, owner of Vistant; Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio; and Paul Young, a subcontractor used to conceal the bribes.

“Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives,” the DOJ said in a press release. “The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices.”

The bribery began in 2013, according to the department, and involved hiding illicit payments by routing them through Young’s firm. Prosecutors said that the three business executives have also pleaded guilty in the case.

In November 2023, Vistant was awarded a contract worth up to $800 million to address root causes of migration from Central America. That contract was later canceled after USAID excluded Vistant from government work due to “evidence of conduct of a lack of business honesty or integrity.” The company successfully challenged the exclusion in court and was re-awarded the contract with an additional $10,000 settlement in August 2024.

The case comes amid renewed scrutiny of USAID, which was drastically cut under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. The agency’s operations were reduced by 83 percent, with essential functions reassigned to the State Department. Critics of the cuts, including congressional Democrats and public figures such as Bono, warned they would undermine global humanitarian efforts.

“Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated,” said Sean Bottary, Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at USAID. “Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme.”