Exec accused in helicopter deal

Two former employees of a helicopter company owned by Wall Street executive Lynn Tilton allege that she exploited a connection with an Army colonel to charge the U.S. government inflated prices for rotorcraft.

In documents filed in U.S. District Court in Alabama, the whistle-blowers say Tilton offered the officer, Norbert Vergez, a lucrative job well before he retired from military service as a way of inducing him to make contract decisions favorable to her company, MD Helicopters of Mesa, Ariz.

Tilton’s attorneys say the allegations are baseless and want the case dismissed.

In a separate but related move, Vergez has agreed to plead guilty to false statement and conflict of interest charges following a Justice Department investigation.