FORMER NETL DIRECTOR CUGINI INDICTED ON OBSTRUCTION CHARGES

Karen Frantz
GHG Monitor
11/22/13

A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pa., indicted the former head of the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Lab on a charge that he obstructed justice this week. According to the indictment, as Cugini was being investigated by the DOE regarding misuse of his position as NETL’s director in September, he “attempted to conceal and destroy evidence by directing witnesses to delete and redesignate NETL computer files and records, to ‘protect him’ during the investigation, and to provide false information in response to investigative inquiries.” If convicted, Cugini faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.

The nature of the DOE investigation was not immediately clear. A media liaison from the DOE Inspector General’s office declined to comment, and the DOE and NETL did not respond to requests for comment by press time. There was no attorney of record for Cugini as of the morning of Nov. 22., according to a spokesperson with the U.S. attorney’s office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

GHG Monitor learned in September that Cugini was abruptly removed from his position and escorted off-site by security Sept. 18 for reasons that remain uncertain, although it reportedly came as part of an ongoing DOE Inspector General’s Office investigation. Cugini remained on administrative leave until Oct. 11, when he officially resigned. He has since been replaced on an acting basis by Deputy Director Scott Klara.

Prior to his appointment as Director in January 2010, Cugini served as director of NETL’s Office of Research and Development. Cugini received B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to joining NETL, he held positions at Pentek Inc. and Gulf Oil Corporation. Cugini also held the title of adjunct associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering from 1996 to 2006.