Port Charlotte Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Wire Fraud Related To NASA’s Space Launch System

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Steven Lukens (54, Port Charlotte) to 21 months in federal prison for wire fraud. The court also ordered Lukens to forfeit $271,024.35, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. Lukens was also ordered to pay $689,280.03 in restitution. Lukens entered a guilty plea on February 20, 2024.

According to court documents, Lukens was the Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Atlantic International Supply, LLC (Gulf Atlantic). Gulf Atlantic entered into a sub-contract with Company-1 to procure materials needed for NASA’s space launch system at the Kennedy Space Center. The products provided were intended for use on supporting platforms for the Artemis mission and Orion, the spacecraft designed to return humans to the moon and eventually Mars. Some of the parts Lukens provided were intended to be utilized in hypergolic systems. Hypergolic fluids are toxic liquids that react violently and spontaneously when they come into contact with each other and are frequently used by NASA for propulsion and hydraulic power systems. The general hazards associated with hypergolic fluids, which are extremely reactive and poisonous fluids, are fire, explosion, and toxic human exposure. NASA has implemented rigorous quality assurance standards to avoid such hazards. However, Lukens submitted products that did not meet the quality standards and specifications required under the contract. Lukens then fraudulently led Company-1 to believe that the products met the required standards by submitting forged quality control documentation.

In total, Lukens submitted at least 190 fraudulent quality control documents to Company-1. These included fraudulent Certificates of Compliance, fraudulent Pressure Testing Certificates, and fraudulent test reports. Lukens’s materially false, fraudulent, and misleading representations caused Company-1 to pay Gulf Atlantic at least $271,024. for the parts it submitted.

“Ensuring the integrity of NASA's component procurements and quality control is a top priority for the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG),” stated Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Steinau of NASA-OIG.

“This case highlights the OIG’s dedication to collaborating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute companies that defraud NASA.”

This case was investigated by the NASA Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons.