US Marine pleads to taking $150K in bribes in Iraq

December 6, 2012 @ 7:11 pm

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Federal prosecutors in San Diego say a U.S. Marine has pleaded guilty to accepting $150,000 in bribes from contractors while stationed in Iraq.

The U.S. attorney's office says 36-year-old Staff Sgt. Gilbert Mendez pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to defraud the United States.

Mendez worked as a contracting officer at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006 and 2007.

Prosecutors say he abused the position, accepting at least $150,000 in bribes from three foreign-owned companies that subsequently received contracts worth millions of dollars.

The statement did not name the companies or say whether they would also face charges. The U.S. attorney's office did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

Mendez is scheduled for sentencing March 1 and faces a maximum of 20 years in custody.


(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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  • longwayhome wrote...
    He is probably
    December 6, 2012 7:27 pm
    A fall guy for one of halliburtons schemes to fleece the Govt. out of more money. The republicans are major shareholders in halliburton, many of them in high ranking positions in govt. Surprise you? halliburton has had a no bid system with the republican war machine for years, and you wonder why we are always at war? Hopefully the Obama people can put an end to this disaster in the next four years. If not, maybe Hillary can help with her influence when she takes over from Obama. The republicans are no friends to the American economy, stab you in the back every chance they can.
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