Former U.S. NRC Senior Resident Inspector Found Guilty of Making False Statements
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—As a result of a joint investigation between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Public Integrity Section, a former NRC Senior Resident Inspector pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, before the Honorable Norman K. Moon, to making false statements on NRC inspection reports. Such false statements violate 18 U.S.C. § 1001, a federal crime that carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
The former employee, Gregory Croon, 60, of Clarksville, Tennessee, produced intentionally falsified inspection reports when he worked as the NRC’s senior resident inspector at the North Anna Power Station in Mineral, Virginia, between 2016 and 2018; he retired from the NRC in 2020.
“The accuracy of NRC inspection reports is critical to the NRC’s oversight of licensees’ safe operation of nuclear power plants around the nation,” said NRC Inspector General Robert J. Feitel. “Croon’s false statements could have jeopardized that safety oversight function.”
NRC OIG Special Agent Adam Tierney, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Todd Walter, Technical Advisor Terri Spicher, and DOJ trial attorneys conducted the extensive investigation, which included numerous interviews of both NRC and licensee personnel, and the comprehensive review of NRC and licensee records. Sentencing in the case is scheduled for March 7, 2022.
“The combined efforts of the NRC OIG special agents and our law enforcement partners yielded an appropriate and just result in this case. Nonetheless, it is vital to remember that we must all remain vigilant, watch for fraudulent activity, and report it promptly,” said Feitel.
The OIG has a responsibility to independently and objectively conduct audits and investigations to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the NRC’s programs and operations.
NRC OIG Press Release_SRI Guilty_12132021.pdf
