Company to pay $7M for bribing Amtrak official in 30th St. Station contract ploy
Jul 17, 2026
A company will pay over $7.2 million in restitution after it bribed a former Amtrak official in a scheme that caused Amtrak to overpay about $2 million for a facade restoration project at 30th Street Station, officials said.
Officials said Mark 1 Restoration Company and its owner Mark Snedden ha
ve agreed to pay $2.4 million and release Amtrak from any claim to $4.8 million in addition funds that Amtrak retained or did not yet pay to Mark 1 after learning of a kickback scheme involving restoration work for a facade project at 30th Street Station.
The restitution comes after Mark 1 allegedly paid a former Amtrak official for “internal project information and expensive contract modifications on Amtrak’s 30th Street Station façade project.”
“When contractors and insiders manipulate the procurement process through bribes and overbilling, taxpayers ultimately pay the price,” said James Harper, Special Agent in Charge of Amtrak OIG’s Eastern Field Office in a statement. “This case resolution reflects the close collaboration among our office, the FBI, the Department of Transportation OIG, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our shared commitment to protecting Amtrak’s resources and taxpayer dollars by holding wrongdoers accountable.”
According to court documents, executives at the firm, including Snedden, bribed a former Amtrak project manager with approximately $323,686 worth of paid vacations, jewelry, cash, dinners, entertainment, transportation, and other items.
In exchange, officials said, the former project manager approved over $52 million in additional change orders and contract modifications and provided Mark 1 and its executives with internal information about the project.
As a result, Amtrak was overbilled by approximately $2 million for the repair and restoration work, law enforcement officials said.
“Integrity in federal contracting isn’t optional,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf in a statement. “If you try to buy favors or submit false certifications, expect both civil and criminal consequences.”
In total, officials said, four Mark 1 executives were previously sentenced for taking part in the scheme:
Khaled Dallo, a vice president with Mark 1, was sentenced on Nov. 21, 2025, to two months in prison, one year of probation, 120 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine for conspiracy to commit federal program bribery.
Mark Snedden, Mark 1’s president and owner, was sentenced on Oct. 1, 2025, to 90 months in prison, one year of probation, and a $250,000 fine.
Lee Maniatis, the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, was sentenced on Oct. 24, 2025, to 18 months in prison and three years of probation.
Donald Seefeldt, the firm’s senior executive vice president, was sentenced June 3, 2025, to 57 months in prison, one year of probation, 59 hours of community service, and was fined $50,000.
All four of the firm’s executives were also ordered to pay more than $2 million in joint restitution, officials said.
The Federal Railroad Administration also suspended the four men and Mark 1 from participating in all federally funded procurement and non-procurement activities.
Officials noted that as the case has been resolved by a settlement there has been no determination of liability.
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