U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Steven Lukens, 54, of Port Charlotte, to 21 months in federal prison for wire fraud. Lukens was also ordered to forfeit $271,024.35, traceable to proceeds of the offense, and to pay $689,280.03 in restitution. Lukens entered a guilty plea on February 20, 2024.
According to court documents, Lukens, the Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Atlantic International Supply, LLC, was involved in a scheme related to a subcontract with Company-1. Gulf Atlantic was contracted to supply materials for NASA’s space launch system at the Kennedy Space Center. The materials were intended for use in supporting platforms for the Artemis mission and Orion spacecraft, which are designed for missions to the moon and Mars. Some of these parts were meant for hypergolic systems, which use toxic and highly reactive fluids.
Lukens provided products that failed to meet NASA’s stringent quality standards. He falsely assured Company-1 that the products were compliant by submitting forged quality control documents. In total, Lukens submitted at least 190 fraudulent documents, including Certificates of Compliance, Pressure Testing Certificates, and test reports. These actions led Company-1 to pay Gulf Atlantic $271,024 for the defective parts.
The NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) led the investigation into Lukens’s actions. Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Steinau emphasized the importance of maintaining integrity in NASA’s procurement processes. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons prosecuted the case.