Former Amtrak director charged for allegedly steering contracts worth millions in exchange for bribes

May 1, 2025

PHILADELPHIA — A former Amtrak director was charged by indictment for allegedly steering millions of dollars in contracts to IT companies he favored in exchange for cash bribes, Apple computers, an automobile, and free hotel and condominium stays , the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced today.

According to the USAO, Richard Thompson, 57, of Falls Church, Virginia, was charged by indictment with honest services fraud through bribery for allegedly steering contracts to three companies he favored—Awarity, Arch Technology, and 20/20 Teknology. At the time of the alleged scheme, which spanned from about 2015 through 2021, Thompson was the Director of Network Planning and Engineering for Amtrak and had a leadership role in designing IT systems and selecting IT vendors and subcontractors to perform IT work for Amtrak.

Thompson allegedly shared proprietary Amtrak bid information and other documents with favored vendors before contracts were awarded, giving them an advantage in Amtrak’s contracting process. In addition, the indictment alleges that Thompson collaborated with these vendors on bid and contracting documents, manipulated bidding lists, and structured contractual relationships so his favored vendors would get lucrative subcontracting deals and bypass Amtrak’s competitive bidding process.

Shaun Hanrahan, 66, of Hampton, Virginia, owner of Awarity, and Darren Hannam, 57, of Haymarket, Virginia, a principal for Arch Technology, were also charged for their alleged part in the scheme.

According to the indictment, Thompson received a stream of benefits from each vendor. For example, Hanrahan provided Thompson with payments of cash totaling at least $97,000; Hannam and a co-schemer provided Thompson with expensive electronics valued at approximately $9,500. Another co-schemer provided Thompson with an automobile, free hotel and condominium stays in Ocean City, Maryland, and $40,000 in cash.

If convicted, the defendants face maximum possible sentences of 20 years in prison for each count of honest services fraud in the indictment.

Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General investigated this case with the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jason Grenell are prosecuting the case. More information is included in the USAO release: https://direc.to/ngEN.

Reports of fraud, waste, or abuse; criminal or unethical acts affecting Amtrak’s property or operations; or mismanagement in Amtrak programs or operations can be made 24 hours a day via the Amtrak OIG Hotline at 1-800-468-5469 or online at https://direc.to/hPAu.
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