A former business partner of a U.S. military contractor
pleaded guilty today to one count of bribery for his role in a years-long
scheme to bribe U.S. Army contracting officials stationed at a U.S. military
base in Kuwait, announced Assistant Attorney General
Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal
Division.
According to the plea filed today in the U.S. District Court
for the Northern District of Alabama, Finbar Charles, 62, a citizen of Saint
Lucia most recently residing in Baguio City, Philippines, was a business
partner of a former U.S. military contractor, Terry Hall. As Hall’s business partner, Charles
facilitated Hall and others in providing millions of dollars in bribes in
approximately 2005 to 2007 to various U.S. Army officials in exchange for
preferential treatment for Hall’s companies in connection with Department of
Defense (DOD) contracts to deliver bottled water and construct security fencing
to support U.S. troops stationed in Kuwait and Iraq.
As part of his role in this criminal conspiracy, Charles
managed bank accounts in Kuwait and the Philippines that he used to receive DOD
payments and transfer illegal bribes to various U.S. Army contracting
officials, including Majors Eddie Pressley, John Cockerham, James Momon, and
Chris Murray. All of those individuals,
as well as at least 10 other coconspirators, have pleaded guilty or been
convicted of crimes relating to this scheme.
Charles admitted that he personally received over $228,000 in illicit
gains as a result of his participation.
The sentencing is set for Nov. 26.
This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal
Investigative Service, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, the FBI,
and the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. The case is being prosecuted by Trial
Attorneys Peter N. Halpern and Robert J. Heberle of the Criminal Division’s
Public Integrity Section.
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