Eddie Ray Johnson, Theft of Government Property & Money Laundering, Maryland 2020

GREENBELT, Maryland - In a shocking case of government corruption, a former Air Force employee is facing federal indictment for stealing more than $774,000 in government funds. Eddie Ray Johnson, 59, of Brandywine, Maryland, has been charged with theft of government property and money laundering.

According to the indictment, Johnson used his government-issued travel credit card to obtain more than $1.1 million in cash advances from March 2014 through September 2017. At least $774,000 of the funds were diverted to his own personal use.

Johnson allegedly deposited the stolen funds into a non-interest bearing account opened in his name at a bank branch in the Pentagon. He then wrote checks to himself, which he deposited into his personal bank accounts, as well as expended the money for his personal use.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney Robert K. Hur; Brigadier General Terry Bullard of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI); Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr. of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.

Johnson was a civilian Air Force employee from January 2003 to February 2018, most recently as a travel coordinator in the Secretary of the Air Force, Office of Legislative Liaison. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for money laundering.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the Air Force OSI, the DCIS, and the IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Elizabeth G. Wright, who are prosecuting the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/former-air-force-employee-facing-federal-indictment-stealing-more-774000-government-funds