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SEPTA director pleads guilty to bribery charges
A maintenance director in SEPTA's bus division pleaded guilty yesterday to accepting gifts in exchange for favorable treatment for a contractor who sold chemical solutions and other products to SEPTA.
The government said in its plea memorandum that William Waterman, a sales agent for Drummond American Corp., "called on" the maintenance director, Daniel Monaghan, between May 2000 and August 2005 in an effort to boost sales of Drummond's products to SEPTA.
Court papers said Waterman offered incentives to Monaghan, 53, in the form of checks from a third party, Keogh, Inc., which administered a customer-loyalty program called "Winners Choice" for Drummond's parent corporation, Lawson Products, Inc.
Under the program, Keogh issued Certificates of Award through the mail to employees of Lawson customers - in this case, SEPTA. The certificate entitled the recipient to receive a check for $25 that could be used at various retailers.
The feds said Monaghan received approximately 263 Winners Choice checks on 44 separate occasions between May 2000 and August 2005 totaling approximately $6,575.
In order for Monaghan to receive the checks, Waterman would process the paperwork and submit it to Keogh; Keogh would then send the certificates to Monaghan at his home so he could redeem them, the plea memorandum said.
Authorities said Monaghan used the checks to purchase unspecified personal items for himself and his family.
Monaghan apologized to the court, taxpayers and the government yesterday. "I'm deeply sorry and wish it had never happened," he said.
U.S. District Judge Berle M. Schiller set sentencing for Oct. 5. Monaghan could potentially face 18 to 24 months behind bars under advisory sentencing guidelines.
The plea memorandum also said Monaghan failed to disclose the receipt of the certificates to SEPTA and never filed state financial disclosure forms required under the state's ethics act.
A SEPTA spokeswoman said she couldn't comment on whether Monaghan was still employed there. Monaghan's attorney was unavailable for comment. *
