 Allen admitted that he had given executives money to be contributed in his "bonus" program though he denied knowing that the laundering was illegal.Also named in the search warrants were VECO officers Bill J. Allen, Rick Smith and Pete Leathard.On May 7, 2007, VECO CEO Bill Allen and Vice President for Community & Government Affairs Rick Smith pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Anchorage to charges of extortion, bribery, and conspiracy to impede the Internal Revenue Service.