A former General Services Administration official made infamous for his role in planning a wasteful agency conference has pleaded guilty to making a false claim to the government.

Jeffrey Neely, the former acting regional administrator at GSA, organized a lavish 2010 Las Vegas conference that cost almost $823,000 and prompted an investigation by the GSA inspector general that eventually forced the resignation of top officials at the agency and the firing of several others.

He told conference organizers he wanted the conference to be "over the top." Neely was placed on administrative leave in 2012 and left the agency shortly after.

Neely pleaded guilty to submitting a reimbursement claim for lodging expenses at a Las Vegas-area casino while not working on official business, according to the Justice Department. He was originally indicted in 2014 under three counts of making false statements.

He also admitted that he caused GSA to pay additional false claims during his tenure and that those acts were an "abuse of his position of trust" at GSA, according to the plea arrangement.

Neely will be sentenced June 30, 2015, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

GSA Acting Inspector General Robert Erickson said in a statement that government officials must be held to high standards.

"Government officials cannot spend taxpayer dollars recklessly. I appreciate the hard work of GSA OIG special agents on this case," Erickson said.

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