Guilty plea part of ongoing US probe into Caltrans bribery

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A former contract manager for California’s transportation agency has pleaded guilty in what federal prosecutors say is an ongoing investigation into a bid rigging and bribery scam involving millions of dollars worth of contracts. Choon Foo “Keith” Yong agreed Monday to cooperate with the investigation. Prosecutors say it was a conspiracy to rig the competitive bidding process for improvement and repair contracts. They say the scheme ensured that companies controlled by his co-conspirators submitted the winning bid and won the contracts. The contracts were cumulatively worth more than $8 million. A plea deal says Yong’s agreement called for him to be awarded at least 10% of the value.