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Return to Article: No record of arms dealer's certification as disadvantaged business

• 48443
  

  Helen is correct in her assessment of how entering data in FPDS-NG occurs. It should also be noted the DoD contracts were full and open competition which did not restrict proposals to small businesses. It seems the issue is between CCR, SBA and the FPDS-NG system as the vendor socio-economic information is populated from data in those sources.

  AMR Posted April 11, 2008 7:40 PM
• 47965
  

  Hey Henk,

  All these FAR loopholes have existed for a LONG time, and didn't come into play with the eeevvviiiiiillll Bush administration. KBR et al was overcharging us when President Clinton was in office etc.

  However, having had just a little contact with the young of "Mr. Diveroli", this person should have never flew under the radar screen. The things he wanted us to do would have gotten anyone thrown in jail. We told him to pound sand. It was just a matter of time before someone caught him.

  Nate Hale Posted April 5, 2008 5:36 AM
• 47933
  

  Helen, I just want to confirm what you're saying - the 'mistake' in identifying AEY as a 8(a) must have been made by the SBA? Is that correct?

  Marlena Posted April 4, 2008 12:17 PM
• 47928
  

  What a crock! Diverseroli claimed preference as a Hasidic jew. Check it out. Hasidic jews have been classified as disadvantaged minorities for purposes of obtaining federal contracts since 1984.

  Diveroli's parents company also claims the Hasidic minority preference.

  Google "Hasidic jews get minority status" for all the relevant links.

  Chuck Feney Posted April 4, 2008 10:55 AM
• 47927
  

  Wow, incompetence in the Bush government, who'd a thunk it?

  "Unwittingly" flying nukes across the US of A; Sending ballistic Missile parts to Taiwan...What other major screw ups are they hiding.

  When are the American people going to learn that people who don't believe in government have no business running it?

  Henk Posted April 4, 2008 10:52 AM
• 47925
  

  African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans and Subcontinent-Asian Americans are defined by Congress as disadvantaged. This too race-based and contrary to any economic disadvantage which would have been more in line with what appears in our constitution. This is a bad program and my congratulations to the 22 year old that proved it. Yes, it did damage our military but it was our program and our government officials that were desporately seeking contractors that they skipped over some steps. Nice work Diveroli. Congress needs to create laws that make more sense. If we support markets decision, we should not have such a program. Hopefully, this episode will lead Congress to quit this SBA.

  jlb Posted April 4, 2008 10:44 AM
• 47922
  

  Marco what are you bringing the middel east into for? Efraim is JEWISH buddy. You are the only one pulling race into it thus far. Thanks.

  Julie Posted April 4, 2008 10:27 AM
• 47915
  

  Helen, thank you for the procedural comments, that confirmed my understanding of the process. My comments were aim at the fact that no record confirming AEY's SDB status as well as disturbing trends with small business data, and the accuracy of FPDS-NG data. I think this story highlights many systemic issues that need to be reviewed and corrected.

  Scott Amey Posted April 4, 2008 9:58 AM
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  "Diveroli does not appear to be a member of one of the racial groups statutorily presumed to be disadvantaged: African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans and Subcontinent-Asian Americans"

  Still I´m sure we´ll either see an "ethnic card" being thrown on the table, or this "poor schmuck" will be extradited for charges brought up in a small Middle-Eastern country very soon... wanna bet?

  Marco Posted April 4, 2008 9:24 AM
• 47906
  

  While weapons procurement and other war purchasing gets limited oversight, security time and money is being wasted on long term Federal employees. Credit checks and very detailed reference checks are being conducted on the current support system, most of whom are baby boomers. These appointees running security have no clue that we more or less police ourselves and have been doing it for decades. If they had verifies AEY's data like they check our references, the troops in Afghanistan would have fresh ammo.

  Anthony Weishar Posted April 4, 2008 8:53 AM
• 47903
  

  Mr. Amey: Please get your facts right. There is no way a Contracting Officer can "overlook or outright lie" about a vendor's size status. Awards to vendors are entered into the Federal Prodcurement Data System-Next Generation (FPDS-NG) within 3 days of contrct award. The information associated with the vendor is tied to their Dun and Bradstreet number and is pulled from the Central Contractor Registration Database (CCR). SBA 8(a) status is not a catagory that vendors can self-certify; that certification can only come from the SBA and the SBA is the only agency who can enter that info into the CCR for a particular vendor. So, even if a contracting officer relied on a vendor's incorrect assertion that their firm was an 8(a) firm, when the contracting officer enters the contract award information into FPDS-NG, the correct information will be populated and cannot be changed by the contracting officer. So, while it's possible to make an award without confirming in CCR a vendor's business size status, when the award is reported in FPDS-NG, the information will be what is loaded in CCR by both the vendor and, for 8(a) firms, by the SBA.

  Helen Posted April 4, 2008 8:28 AM