A Tucson man has been indicted on suspicion of making false statements in background checks to obtain federal contract work, federal prosecutors say.
Davide Velarde, 44, was still on active duty with the Air Force when he held positions with federal contractors for the IRS and NASA after making false statements about his military retirement, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona said in a news release.
A federal grand jury indicted Velarde last week.
After retiring, Velarde made additional false statements while applying to work for a federal contractor for NOAA — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — to conceal that he had been previously fired from federal contract work, the release said.
Velarde is alleged to have earned nearly $467,000 in wages from the Air Force and the federal contractors between August 2021 and October 2025, the release said.
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A conviction for making false statements carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, the release said.
