Construction Exec Admits Bribing CDC Official

A Florence man who worked for the Cincinnati offices of a federal health agency has admitted to accepting nearly $190,000 in bribes from a construction company “in exchange for awarding construction contracts to the company,” a news release said Tuesday.

David T. Mersch, 61, who was employed as operations manager for the Cincinnati offices of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is awaiting a Jan. 19 sentencing hearing after previously pleading guilty to a count of bribery, federal authorities said.

The charges involved California-based Entek Mechanical Corp.

Authorities released information about the case Tuesday after an Entek executive, Paul G. McDonald, 70, of Pleasant Hill, Calif., also pleaded guilty to bribery.

Mersch, in his job at the CDC, was in charge of “everything related to the research, maintenance operations, safety, and construction for the three CDC campuses in the Cincinnati area,” a news release said. He also “made recommendations for and approved contracts for certain construction and services contracts related to the CDC facilities in Cincinnati,” the release said.

Mersch “solicited and accepted cash payments, paid vacations, and payments to third parties for home improvements for his residence from CDC contractors,” from 2003 until this year, the news release said, noting the value of those items totaled “at least $189,181.”

Multiple authorities were involved in the case, including Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Office of the Inspector General.

Mersch pleaded guilty on July 19, 2011 to a count of bribery before Senior District Judge Herman Weber, who will set a date for McDonald’s sentencing. Bribery is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

In his news release, Stewart commended the FBI, inspectors general and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Mangan, who is prosecuting the case.

The investigation is continuing, Stewart said.

Source: Janice Morse, Cincinnati.com