A local man has been indicted for allegedly defrauding NASA while performing research contracts, a U.S. attorney's spokesman said.
Patrick Katzka, who did business as AOTF Technology Inc. and contracted with NASA in 1991 and 1992, allegedly billed the space agency for work that was never performed, U.S. Attorney Wayne Lamprey said.
AOTF's contract called for it to develop small electrical optical filters capable of focusing light beams with speed and precision for use in space probes.
Lamprey said the indictment charges Katzka with submitting "grossly inflated invoices" and creating bogus records at his office to back them up.
At one point, Lamprey said, Katzka ordered his employees to sign timecards he used in the scheme, allegedly threatening not to pay them if they did not comply.
Lamprey said auditors began investing Katzka after an anonymous tip from an AOTF employee.
Katzka was arrested Oct. 31 and was scheduled to appear at 2 p.m. Nov. 1 before U.S. Magistrate Patricia Trumbull in U.S. District Court in San Jose. Lamprey said Katzka faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted.
--Bay City News Service
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, November 6, 1996.
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