ADCS headquarters up for sale

By: BRADLEY J. FIKES - Staff Writer | Wednesday, November 30, 2005 10:45 PM PST ∞

POWAY ---- The headquarters of defense contractor ADCS Inc., targeted by federal authorities in the bribery investigation of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, is up for sale.

The headquarters was built for the Poway-based company at a reported cost of $12 million in 2003.

Al Dust Properties LLC, the headquarters owner and sister company to ADCS, appears to need the money: It owes nearly $40,000 in back taxes and penalties to the county treasurer/tax collector's office.

"They are considered defaulted taxes due in a prior year," Sandy Taitano, manager of the office's information division, said of the $39,510.80 bill.

The amount is actually greater as of Thursday, Taitano said, because interest accrues on the first of each month. Moreover, nearly an additional $120,000 in taxes for this fiscal year is due by Dec.12.

The headquarters has been on the market for "probably a couple of months," said John Gross of Colliers International, a real estate firm that represents the owner. It is located near the city's southern border in the Parkway Business Center at 13970 Stowe Drive.

Both ADCS and Al Dust Properties are subsidiaries of Wilkes Corp., founded by businessman and philanthropist Brent Wilkes. His Poway home was raided Aug. 16 as part of a federal investigation of Cunningham, R-Escondido.

An eight-term Republican, Cunningham resigned this week after accepting a plea bargain admitting to conspiracy to commit bribery and other felony charges. Cunningham agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Legal observers have said that cooperation means Cunningham will help build a case against co-conspirators.

Wilkes is a longtime friend and campaign contributor to Cunningham. ADCS received more than $76 million in government contracts from 2000-04, during Cunningham's service on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, including its defense subcommittee. And details in court documents regarding the Cunningham charges have identified Wilkes as one of his unnamed co-conspirators.

An attorney representing Wilkes, Michael L. Lipman, declined to talk Wednesday with the North County Times. However, Lipman was quoted in USA Today and the Washington Post on Wednesday as saying Wilkes is the unidentified "Co-conspirator No. 1" described in the court documents. Lipman has previously been quoted in various news articles as saying that ADCS and Wilkes acted legally and properly.

A San Diego Daily Transcript article published on March 26, 2003, described the project as a build-to-suit job for ADCS, listing Al Dust Properties as owner. Brent Wilkes "provided direct input and oversight for the $11 million, 2-year project," the article stated.

The California Secretary of State's Web site lists Wilkes as "Agent for Service of Process," for Al Dust Properties as of Dec. 18, 2000. That means Wilkes is the contact person for any lawsuits involving Al Dust Properties.

Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at bfikes@nctimes.com or (760) 739-6641.

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