Department of Justice (DOJ) Acting Inspector General William M. Blier announced today the release of a report on the U.S. Marshals Service’s (USMS) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) for executive, administrative, and professional support services awarded to Mayvin, Incorporated (Mayvin).
The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found significant issues related to the USMS’s contract management practices that resulted in inadequate oversight of the BPA. We found that the USMS did not sufficiently identify the bona fide need for the contract services provided, and in turn, we were unable to determine whether the USMS appropriately safeguarded the financial interests of the federal government.
We questioned $136,779 in costs associated with certain services that were to be provided by contract workers, incorrect billings, and $1,791,752 in potentially wasted funds resulting from the USMS’s deficient contract management practices. As of July 2025, the BPA had an estimated value of $87.8 million remaining, which we believe could be saved or better spent if the USMS takes decisive corrective action on our recommendations and improves its administration of this BPA.
The OIG’s findings included the following:
- The USMS could likely save funds through stronger contract management. The USMS did not establish effective contract management practices to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. For instance, we found that the USMS: (1) did not sufficiently identify the bona fide need for the contracted services, (2) did not ensure individual call orders contained a description of work to be performed and standards to measure performance, and (3) awarded labor-hour contracts, which are inherently high-risk—providing little incentive for a contractor to work efficiently and control costs. As a result, we were unable to determine whether the USMS had a legitimate need for the contract services provided, and whether the USMS appropriately safeguarded the financial interests of the federal government.
- The USMS should ensure it has not inadvertently established personal services contracts. We found that the USMS appeared to administer the Mayvin call orders as personal services contracts. Because the call orders did not identify the specific tasks to be performed and how contract worker performance would be measured, USMS officials were required to exert control over the work contract personnel performed. As a result, the USMS’s contracting practices may have inappropriately placed contract workers in a personal services role, contrary to federal contracting and USMS guidance.
The DOJ OIG made 14 recommendations to improve the USMS’s management of this BPA and associated call orders, as well as to remedy questioned costs and funds unnecessarily expended. The USMS agreed with all 14 recommendations.