Philadelphia, PA. — A restoration contractor and its owner have agreed to resolve civil claims totaling more than $7.2 million following an investigation into bribes paid to an Amtrak employee during a major renovation project at Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station.
Mark 1 Restoration Company and owner Mark Snedden agreed to pay $2.4 million and relinquish any claim to approximately $4.86 million that Amtrak retained or declined to pay after discovering the scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The civil resolution follows earlier criminal proceedings against Snedden and three other Mark 1 executives.
Court documents said company executives provided a former Amtrak project manager with approximately $323,686 in vacations, jewelry, cash, meals, entertainment, transportation and other benefits.
In return, the project manager provided internal information about the station façade project and approved more than $52 million in change orders and contract modifications. Authorities said the arrangement resulted in Amtrak being overbilled by approximately $2 million for repair and restoration work.
“When contractors and insiders manipulate the procurement process through bribes and overbilling, taxpayers ultimately pay the price,” said James Harper, special agent in charge of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Field Office.
Snedden was sentenced in October 2025 to 90 months in prison, followed by one year of probation, and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine.
Mark 1 Vice President Khaled Dallo was sentenced in November 2025 to two months in prison, one year of probation and 120 hours of community service. He was also fined $20,000.
Chief Operating Officer Lee Maniatis received an 18-month prison sentence and three years of probation in October 2025. Senior Executive Vice President Donald Seefeldt was sentenced in June 2025 to 57 months in prison, one year of probation and 59 hours of community service and was fined $50,000.
The four executives were ordered to pay more than $2 million in joint restitution. The Federal Railroad Administration also suspended Mark 1 and the four men from participating in federally funded procurement and non-procurement activities.
The Amtrak inspector general’s office investigated the case with the FBI and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Carr and Landon Y. Jones handled the civil matter with assistance from litigation consultant Denis Cooke.
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