Picatinny Arsenal Employee Pleads Guilty In Wire Fraud Scheme

JEFFERSON, NJ — A former civilian employee and a former Picatinny Arsenal division director pleaded guilty in connection to their roles in a wire fraud scheme that netted them Apple products, luxury handbags and luxury sky box tickets, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said.

Indra Nayee, 53, of Metuchen, pleaded guilty to conspiring to give, offer or promise anything of value to a public official and to make false claims against the United States. Nayee was a civilian employee and contractor at the time of the conspiracy, Carpenito said.

Robert Dombroski, 64, of Branchville, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud in order to accept or receive things of value in return for favorable assistance with government contracts and with making false claims against the United States. Dombroski worked at Picatinny Arsenal for 30 years as a federal employee, before retiring in 2015 and being rehired as a civilian.

Between 2010 and 2018, Dombroski and Nayee are accused of conspiring with employees at Picatinny Arsenal and Company A to receive gifts in exchange for contracts, Carpenito said. Those gifts included Apple products, luxury handbags, Beats headphones, and tickets to a luxury sky box at professional sporting events, and were worth between $150,000 and $250,000, Carpenito said.

In order to cover up the gifts, Dombroski and Nayee admitted to filing fake paperwork with the federal government.

Dombroski supervised contract projects with the company Nayee was the Picatinny Arsenal division director of, identified as "Company A," Carpenito said.

Both men face five years in jail and a fine of $250,000. Both are scheduled for sentencing later this year.