Defense Contractor Who Bribed Duke Cunningham Gets 12 Years In Prison

SAN DIEGO – Brent Wilkes, the small-time defense contractor whose bribes to U.S. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham turned him into a bigger defense contractor, was sentenced on Wednesday to 12 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1.4 million in fines and forfeits.     Wilkes, 53, of Poway, was convicted in November of conspiracy, bribery, 10 counts of wire fraud, and money laundering. He paid Cunningham more than $700,000 for nearly a decade, in return for which the congressman “corruptly directed” more than $80 million in defense contracts to Wilkes’ company, ADCS, of Poway, prosecutors said. Wilkes made “tens of millions of dollars” from the deals.     Wilkes was taken into custody to begin serving his sentence. Cunningham already is in prison.