Elaine Thomas (Elaine Thomas)

Biography

2021: Guilty plea for counterfeiting steel test results for submarines

In November 2021, it became known that 67-year-old Elaine Thomas from Auburn, Washington, one of the directors of the metallurgical plant pleaded guilty to major fraud. According to the verdict of a US district judge on February 14, 2022, she faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.

According to the case file, the Bradken foundry is a leading supplier to the US Navy of cast high-strength steel for naval submarines. He is engaged in the production of castings, which the main contractors use to manufacture submarine hulls. For the Navy, it is necessary that the steel meets certain standards of strength and toughness.

In the USA, metallurgist Elaine Thomas forged the results of steel tests for submarines for 30 years

For 30 years, the Tacoma foundry (which was acquired by Bradken in 2008) produced castings, many of which did not pass laboratory tests and did not meet Navy standards. Elaine Thomas, as director of metallurgy, falsified the test results to hide the fact that the steel did not pass the test. Thomas falsified the results of more than 240 types of steel, which make up a significant percentage of Bradken castings produced for the Navy.

Court documents show that there is no evidence that Bradken's management knew about the fraud until a lab employee discovered that the test cards had been changed.

The Bradken plant entered into an agreement to postpone prosecution, taking responsibility for the offense and agreeing to take corrective measures. The steel manufacturer also entered into a civil agreement, paying almost $11 million to drop charges of manufacturing and selling defective steel parts to the US Navy.

Criminal prosecution is led by Assistant US Attorney Seth Wilkinson. The date of the announcement of the verdict by November 11, 2012 is not indicated.^[1]

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