# DOJ Charges Hawaii Air Force Contract Scheme

Federal prosecutors charged Robert Manning in an alleged scheme involving approximately $37 million in Air Force contracts, while former Air Force master sergeant Alan Hayward James pleaded guilty to leading the conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that from April 2016 through April 2025, participants used fabricated invoices and deliverables in contracts tied to military IT initiatives in Hawaii and overseas, including Japan and Korea. The case highlights contractor exposure to fraud investigations and the importance of verifiable billing, deliverable acceptance, subcontractor oversight, and conflict-of-interest controls.

- Companies supporting Air Force and military IT work can review invoice substantiation and delivery records against contract terms, particularly where work involves subcontractors or overseas performance.
- Procurement and compliance teams may benefit from ensuring that approval and acceptance records clearly document who reviewed invoices, verified labor or materials, and confirmed deliverables.
- The allegations and guilty plea indicate that billing controls and oversight are material risks for contractors working on multi-party government contracts; the signals identify no new compliance mandate or procurement deadline.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 31, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
- U.S. Air Force (USAF)
- Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)

### Sources
- [‘Godfather’ Still Out There as Second man charged in $37M Hawaii-based Air Force contract-rigging scheme 
https://t.co/VF7VFSDHeT](https://x.com/HawaiiFreePress/status/2116631170222075904) - twitter-defense