The suburban St. Louis president of a defense contractor faces up to 20 years in federal prison now that he has admitted defrauding the U.S. government.
James Matthew Alexander, 45, of Chesterfield pleaded guilty to a felony count of mail fraud Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
The conviction on the charge also carries a possible $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10.
Authorities say St. Louis-based Matthews Manufacturing Inc., where Alexander served as president, was awarded a contract by the Defense Department in 2010 to supply 56 containers used to ship parts for the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Prosecutors say Matthews Manufacturing was paid more than $120,000.
The containers included shock mounts that were supposed to be no more than a year old. But prosecutors say Alexander had the dates on the mounts buffed off and re-stamped with a more recent date.
A co-defendant, 55-year-old Larry Charles Maxwell Jr. of St. Louis, pleaded not guilty to related charges and awaits trial.
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