April 1, 2025 – USA
David Cruz, a former contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in South Korea, has pleaded guilty to destroying text messages during a federal antitrust investigation. The messages linked him to Hyuk Jin Kwon and Hyun Ki Shin, who are accused of bid rigging and fraud in multi-million-dollar subcontracting work.
Despite a legal notice not to delete communications, Cruz erased the messages at Kwon’s suggestion and later tried to cover it up. The messages revealed efforts to manipulate bidding processes to meet competitive requirements.
Cruz faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case was brought by the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, the FBI, Army CID, and DCIS as part of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force.
