Former Officer Sentenced for Kickbacks
Associated Press | June 26, 2007
WASHINGTON - A former U.S. Army Reserve officer was sentenced to nearly two years in prison Monday for helping steer millions of dollars in Iraq-reconstruction contracts in exchange for jewelry, computers, cigars and sexual favors.

Lt. Col. Bruce D. Hopfengardner, 46, of Fredericksburg, Va., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud last year. He served as a special adviser to the U.S.-led occupation forces, recommending funding for projects on law enforcement facilities in Iraq.

Hopfengardner was sentenced to 21 months in prison, fined $144,500 and ordered to serve three years of probation.

He admitted conspiring with Philip H. Bloom, a U.S. citizen with businesses in Romania, and Robert J. Stein Jr., a former Defense Department contract official, to create a corrupt bidding process that included the theft of $2 million in reconstruction money.

Hopfengardner's role was to recommend that the Coalition Provisional Authority fund projects to demolish the Ba'ath Party headquarters, rebuild a police academy and construct various other facilities.

Bloom, who controlled companies in Iraq and Romania, bid on projects using dummy corporations and Stein ensured that one of the firms was awarded the contract, according to court documents.

Bloom received more than $8.6 million in rigged contracts, prosecutors said. In exchange, the businessman showered Hopfengardner and Stein with cash, cars, premium airline seats, jewelry, alcohol and even sexual favors from women at his Baghdad villa.

Bloom was sentenced in February to nearly four years in prison and was ordered to forfeit $3.6 million. Stein was sentenced in January to nine years and was also ordered to forfeit $3.6 million.

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People think this war is on terror ?

This war is about oil and construction contracts, all this killing for greed.


[Edited by - playa2 on 02-07-2007 07:51]

agreed