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Army Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Defrauding US in Georgia
A shocking case of corruption within the US military has come to light as US Army Reserves Sergeant Amasha M. King, 33, of Forsyth, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to the court documents, Sergeant King served at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, from November 2004 to February 2006, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the 374th Finance Battalion. During her tenure, she was responsible for receiving and processing pay vouchers and invoices from military contractors for various contracts and blanket purchase agreements (BPAs).
Sergeant King’s approval was required for the contractors to be paid, and in some instances, she was responsible for the issuance of US government checks to those contractors. However, in a brazen move, she agreed to receive money from a military contractor in return for defrauding the United States by preferentially processing the contractor’s invoices outside of the proper procedures and protocols for payment.
This allowed the contractor to be paid much faster than usual and ultimately to bid for more contracts than it otherwise could have financed. Sergeant King admitted to receiving four wire transfers totaling approximately $20,500. She instructed the contractor to wire the money to designees in the United States and to keep the amounts under $10,000 in order to avoid bank reporting requirements.
Sergeant King faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property she received. In addition, she has agreed to pay $20,500 in restitution to the United States. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled by the court.
This case highlights the importance of transparency and accountability within the military and government institutions. The US Army Reserves and other government agencies must ensure that their employees are held to the highest standards of integrity and ethics.
As the investigation and prosecution of Sergeant King continue, it is essential that the public remains vigilant and demands accountability from our government officials and institutions.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Mark W. Pletcher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The case is being investigated by the US Army Criminal Investigation Command, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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