A San Diego resident who was previously indicted on federal charges for his alleged role in a bribery scandal involving the United States Navy had his charges dropped this week, his lawyer said.
The case was dropped on June 30, according to court records.
“We are very pleased that the government has decided to dismiss all charges against Cask Technologies and Mark Larsen, and that we have finally been able to clear their names,” said Aaron Dyer, co-chair of corporate investigations and white collar defense practice at international law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, which defended Larsen, adding that it is “incredibly rare” for the government to voluntarily dismiss a criminal indictment by a grand jury.
“We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for following up on the evidence we provided and confirming that former Cask employees identified in the indictment had falsely denied working for and receiving payments from Cask’s competitors while employed by Cask; had concealed their own dealings with government employees who pleaded guilty to taking bribes; and had falsely claimed that Mr. Larsen and Cask knew about their misconduct,” Dyer added in a statement.
“For nearly seven years, our clients lived under the cloud of false accusations by government witnesses. The dismissal of these charges is the only just outcome.”
Larsen began as the director, and later served as the managing director, vice president, and executive vice president of Cask with offices in San Diego and Stafford, Virginia.
According to court records, Larsen and his subordinates at Cask, LLC had been accused of giving former Naval Information Warfare Center employee James Soriano various items or experiences of value, such as expensive meals and jobs for family friends and members.
Prosecutors say Soriano paid back the favors by helping steer contracts to Cask. He also allegedly allowed Larsen and others to “ghostwrite” documents that ensured the firm and its affiliated companies were awarded the contracts they sought.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in 2024 that Soriano’s guilty pleas involved information related to Cask, LLC and Mark Larsen.
