Former U.S. official indicted over lavish Las Vegas conference
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal grand jury has indicted a former official who headed the federal General Services Administration unit that came under fire for holding a lavish Las Vegas conference in 2010. The San Francisco grand jury charged Jeffrey Neely, 59, on Thursday with filing false expense reports claiming he was traveling on official business, using a false document and lying to the GSA's inspector general. Neely headed the GSA unit that administered public buildings on the West Coast and in the Pacific. In 2012, a report by the GSA inspector general criticized spending on the Las Vegas conference, which cost the government $820,000 and breached federal laws and policies. The public outcry over the conference prompted the ouster of the agency's chief in 2012 and a management shakeup. Two of the counts against Neely relate to the Las Vegas conference. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
