PHILADELPHIA, PA — Donald Seefeldt, 65, of Wilmette, Illinois, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery in an elaborate scheme tied to Amtrak’s 30th Street Station repair and restoration project. The case, prosecuted before United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone, shines a light on corrupt practices that defrauded Amtrak of millions of dollars.
The bribery conspiracy unfolded during the $58.4 million contract awarded in December 2015 to Seefeldt’s company, a masonry restoration contractor, tasked with restoring the façade of the iconic Philadelphia station. Approximately 90% of the funding for this project came from federal resources. Seefeldt, serving as Senior Executive Vice President of the contractor, held direct oversight responsibilities for the project.
According to court documents, Seefeldt collaborated with company executives and an Amtrak employee identified as “Amtrak Employee #1” between 2016 and 2019. The Amtrak employee, who acted as Project Manager for the restoration effort, played a critical role in reviewing and approving invoices, requests for payment, and change orders submitted by the contractor. Despite internal policies prohibiting bribery, Seefeldt and his co-conspirators provided Amtrak Employee #1 with gifts totaling over $323,000, including cash, jewelry, paid vacations, and entertainment. These payments were aimed at securing favorable treatment, including access to confidential information and approvals for costly project modifications.
Prosecutors allege that the contractor deliberately inflated costs on multiple change orders, significantly increasing the project’s expenses. Amtrak ultimately overpaid the contractor by more than $2 million due to these fraudulent billings. The Amtrak employee approved over $52 million in additional expenses, with false costs embedded within those modifications.
“The good news is that we have an agency that is willing to implement change and do better,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “Every dollar of federal funding lost to fraud is a dollar less to put toward legitimate programs and projects. My office and our partners will continue to hold accountable those who try to pad their pockets at taxpayers’ and the U.S. government’s expense.”
Seefeldt now faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and full restitution of up to $2,062,374, to be shared with other co-conspirators. His sentencing is scheduled for May 22.
The FBI, Amtrak Office of Inspector General, and Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Grenell is prosecuting it.
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