Bribery Scheme Lands Texas Recruiter in Hot Water

A former Army National Guard recruiter has pleaded guilty to his lead role in a bribery and fraud scheme that cost the National Guard Bureau more than $90,000 in losses. Former Sergeant Rafael L. Acosta Jr., 39, of San Antonio, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud.

According to court documents, Acosta and his co-conspirators used the information of potential soldiers to claim they were responsible for recruiting them, when in fact they were not. They then used the recruiting assistant accounts of five participating soldiers to receive the fraudulently obtained recruiting bonuses, with the majority of the money being sent directly to bank accounts controlled by Acosta.

Acosta, who served as a recruiter between August 2007 and November 2009, admitted to dividing the unlawful proceeds among his co-conspirators. The case against Acosta arises from an investigation involving allegations that former and current military recruiters and U.S. soldiers in the San Antonio area engaged in a wide-ranging bribery and fraud scheme to illegally obtain recruiting bonuses.

To date, the investigation has led to charges against a total of eight individuals, six of whom have pleaded guilty, including Acosta. The charge of conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 24, 2012, before Chief U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Edward J. Loya Jr. and Brian A. Lichter of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.

The case is being investigated by agents from the San Antonio Fraud Resident Agency of the Major Procurement Fraud Unit of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced the guilty plea.

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