One of two men accused of stealing more than $4 million from the federal government while working for the Savannah River Site’s MOX program could face up to five years in prison after entering into a plea agreement on Friday. Meanwhile, the other suspect has waived his right to a speedy trial and wants the case to continue.
In December 2015, the Department of Justice announced the indictment of Aaron Vennefron of Hamilton, Ohio, and Phillip Thompson of Augusta, Ga., on 13 counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of government funds, and two counts of conspiracy. The two were indicted based on their work at the SRS Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) – which, once completed, is expected to convert 34 metric tons of nuclear weapon-usable plutonium into commercial nuclear fuel.
Thompson entered into the plea deal ahead of a pretrial conference scheduled for Monday. “The Defendant agrees to plead guilty to Count 15 of the Indictment now pending, which charges ‘Conspiracy to commits Theft of Government Funds,’” the agreement states.
The punishment for the offense is up to five years in prison, a fine of as much as $250,000, a maximum of three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. A court date for Thompson’s sentencing has not yet been set, but that generally occurs 30 to 60 days after the plea agreement.
While Thompson awaits sentencing, Vennefron maintains his innocence. On Monday, U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs approved a motion from Vennefron’s lawyer to continue the case.
Keeping with the tentative schedule set before the pretrial conference, the case is expected to continue with jury selection on March 6.
