Court records reviewed by ENR show the scheme reached projects at the 176-acre St. Elizabeths West Campus in Washington, D.C., the former hospital site GSA is redeveloping for the consolidated headquarters of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. Prosecutors say Miller directed construction companies owned by Christopher Brackins and James Tillman to inflate estimates that prime contractors incorporated into proposals submitted to the agency,

Although Miller could not make final contracting decisions, his title gave him broad day-to-day authority over contracts he administered, including reviewing technical submissions, recommending payments and inspecting work. In his plea agreement, he stipulated that he exercised “substantial influence” over GSA decision-making on projects he supervised. His attorneys later emphasized that he “awarded no contracts and did not set policy.”

One project involved installation of window film at St. Elizabeths. Tillman estimated his company’s portion of the work at $57,360 even though he could perform it “for far less,” according to prosecutors, who say Miller directed him to inflate the estimate.

The prime contractor incorporated the $57,360 into its proposal, which GSA accepted. Tillman earned an estimated $11,872 in profit from the work, while Miller received kickbacks in cash and other benefits, according to the government.

The conduct “drove up costs to the taxpayer and directly undermined the integrity of GSA’s procurement process,” the agency said in a victim impact statement filed with the court.

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A GSA receiving report filed as a government sentencing exhibit names Meltech Corp. Inc. as prime contractor on remediation and repair work at Atkins Hall. Federal contracting data estimated that work at $866,867 and identifies Meltech as prime contractor on a separate $634,400 St. Elizabeths sinkhole-repair project described in the court filings. The Miller court records ENR reviewed do not allege Meltech participated in or knew about the bribery conspiracy.

Meltech did not respond to ENR’s request for comment by publication deadline.

For the sinkhole work, prosecutors say Miller paired Tillman’s company with the prime contractor despite Tillman’s company having no previous experience remediating sinkholes.

After Miller certified part of the work as complete, GSA paid the prime approximately $276,000, which subsequently paid Tillman’s company $222,500 for its work, according to court records. Two days later, prosecutors say, Tillman paid $8,500 toward a sports car Miller had selected. The government estimated Tillman’s profit on the project at $97,780 and his combined profit from the sinkhole and window-film jobs at $109,652.

Miller’s other bribery conspiracy involved Brackins, who owned a general construction company identified in court records only as Company A. The Justice Dept. says Miller paired the company with two prime contractors, identified as Companies B and C, and directed GSA project work to them in return for money and other benefits.

One Brackins-related project involved mold remediation and repairs at Atkins Hall, also known as Building 31, at St. Elizabeths. Court records describe the prime contract as worth approximately $800,000. Federal contracting records put Meltech’s corresponding award at $866,867.

Prosecutors say Brackins prepared an estimate for his company’s portion of the work and Miller directed him to add a 10% contingency before the estimate was incorporated into the prime contractor’s proposal.

An earlier Brackins-related project involved roof repairs at the Douglas A. Munro Building, the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters at St. Elizabeths. Public court filings identify the prime contractor only as Company B, which ENR has not independently identified.

Prosecutors estimated Brackins’ company earned about $133,000 in profits from GSA work obtained through the scheme, while Justice says Brackins provided Miller about $50,000 in cash and other benefits. Those included an $8,000 cash payment in 2018 and $25,000 that Miller directed Brackins to route through an intermediary’s air-conditioning repair business in 2021.

Together, prosecutors estimated the Brackins- and Tillman-owned companies earned about $243,000 in profits from work obtained through Miller. That figure is not a calculation of taxpayer losses. Miller argued in his sentencing memorandum that the affected contracts “came in on budget,” but prosecutors countered that the budgets incorporated inflated subcontractor estimates that caused GSA to pay more than necessary. Court records reviewed by ENR do not quantify the resulting government overpayment.

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ENR asked GSA whether it calculated its losses or sought repayment, took administrative action against contractors or identified additional affected projects. GSA’s Office of Inspector General responded on Sept. 24 that the investigation remains open and declined to discuss it further, referring questions to the Justice Dept.

Tillman pleaded guilty in February 2025 to conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official. Brackins pleaded guilty in April 2025 to conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official, wire fraud and unlawful possession of a machine gun. Their sentencings are set for Oct. 20 and Oct. 22, respectively.