United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the sentencing of Donald Seefeldt, a former executive at a masonry contractor, to 57 months in prison. Seefeldt, aged 65 from Wilmette, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone for conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. His sentence includes one year of probation, 59 hours of community service, and a $50,000 fine.
Seefeldt was charged in November 2024 and pleaded guilty in February. The charges stemmed from a scheme involving the award of a $58.5 million contract by Amtrak for repairs at the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Federal funds covered approximately 90% of the contract’s costs.
As Senior Executive Vice President of the contractor involved, Seefeldt had oversight responsibilities on this project. Lee Maniatis and Khaled Dallo served as vice presidents overseeing project performance alongside Mark Snedden, who owned the company.
Amtrak Employee #1 managed communication with contractors and approved invoices and change orders for Amtrak payments related to the project. Despite lacking sole authority over payments, their approval was crucial.
The contract barred offering cash or gifts to Amtrak employees to secure favorable treatment. From May 2016 through November 2019, Seefeldt conspired with others including Amtrak Employee #1 to offer bribes exceeding $323,000 in value—covering vacations, jewelry, cash, dinners—to influence project management decisions favoring his company.
This resulted in unauthorized internal information sharing about the project and approvals of costly changes leading to over $52 million in additional payments by Amtrak. These actions caused significant overbilling due to inflated costs totaling more than $2 million.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf remarked that “Seefeldt conspired to bribe an Amtrak employee,” impacting taxpayers by defrauding federal programs intended for public benefit.
Wayne A. Jacobs from the FBI emphasized that such actions betray public trust and undermine legal integrity while affirming their commitment against corruption.
Michael J. Waters from Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General highlighted ongoing efforts ensuring ethical contractor conduct alongside other agencies like DOT OIG supporting investigations protecting Amtrak’s finances.
Brian C Gallagher from DOT OIG reiterated commitment towards safeguarding taxpayer dollars within federally funded programs alongside law enforcement partners.
Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell is prosecuting this case following investigations conducted jointly by FBI along with offices under both Amtrak Inspector General as well as Department Transportation Inspector General departments.
