Man gets probation after admitting to $2.5M in kickbacks

A Florida man who admitted taking more than $2.5 million in kickbacks and bribes for construction projects on federal buildings is going to spend three years on probation.

Bhaskar Patel, 69, was sentenced in Vermont on Friday during a video conference.

Patel pleaded guilty two years ago.

Patel’s attorney, David Haas, wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Patel, given his age, has little risk of re-offending.

Patel has sold his home and is living with his son in New York in order to pay back the government.

The case began after investigators learned Patel had falsified a bid document for a project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont.

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