U.S. sergeant charged with bribery and fuel theft scheme in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON - Carol Forsloff - On Tuesday a former U.S. Army staff sergeant was charged by
the Department of Justice with bribery, theft and other crimes that
took place while he was on duty in the military.

Stevan Nathan Ringo, 26, of Marrero, La..is accused of stealing
government property and conspiracy in connection with a fuel theft
scheme in order to secure $400,000 in bribes from a government
contractor in Afghanistan.

 Lanny
A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General, and
U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia made
the charges against Ringo that brought a three-count indictment in the
Eastern District of Virginia.

The
counts include one count of bribery as a public official, one count of
theft of government property and one count of conspiracy to commit
bribery and theft of government property.

Ringo
had originally been arrested June 25, 2010, based on a criminal
complaint charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit theft of
government property.

 

Ringo was stationed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shank, a U.S. Army
installation in the Logar Province of Eastern Afghanistan at the time
the complaints against him took place.   This is a place supporting U.S.
military operations that include fuel receipt and redistribution.  In
addition FOB Shank stores large quantities of fuel which it
redistributes to installations in the surrounding areas through
government contractors.

Ringo
had the responsibility of supervising that redistribution process.  He
is accused of soliciting $400,000 in cash payments between December 2009
and February 2010 in exchange for his creating fraudulent paper work to
allow the contractor to steal the fuel from FOB Shank.  The total value
of the fuel stolen approximates $1.4 million.

 

The indictment alleges that, between December 2009 and February 2010,
Ringo solicited and accepted approximately $400,000 in cash payments
from a government contractor in exchange for his creation and submission
of fraudulent paperwork permitting that contractor to steal fuel from
FOB Shank. The indictment alleges that the total value of the fuel
stolen during the course of the scheme was approximately $1.4 million.

 

If found guilty, Ringo faces a maximum  of 15 years in prison on the
bribery count as well as a fine of the greater of $250,000 or a figure
related to what he either gained or lost on that value.  Theft of
government property carries the penalty of 10 years in prison as well as
a similar fine.