Fort Bragg supply sergeant ANTONELLE ANN SANCHEZ, 35, has admitted to taking over $95,610 in kickbacks from a California-based telemarketing firm in exchange for funneling more than $1 million in government contracts its way. Sanchez pleaded guilty in federal court in Greenville, North Carolina, to two counts of Accepting and Receiving a Gratuity. As part of her plea agreement, she has agreed to forfeit $95,610 and now faces up to four years behind bars.
The money flowed from Advance Imaging Supply, Inc., a printer cartridge telemarketer owned by GEORGE SZEKERES, 67, who also pleaded guilty—admitting to one count of Bribery. Szekeres has already paid the full $95,610 forfeiture and could spend up to fifteen years in prison. The two conspired between May 13, 2011, and September 11, 2012, turning a military procurement channel into a pipeline for personal profit.
Sanchez, then stationed at Fort Bragg, used her position as supply sergeant to steer massive government orders to Advance Imaging. In return, the company sent her postal money orders—eventually formalizing a 10% kickback deal in early 2012, approved directly by Szekeres. The cartridges were shipped not just to Fort Bragg but distributed across military and federal facilities nationwide, all while the scheme quietly drained taxpayer funds.
‘Our office was pleased to partner with DCIS and the FBI on this significant case. Fraud in government procurement is a serious matter and we will continue to prosecute it vigorously,’ said United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce. The case underscores how trusted military personnel can exploit procurement systems for private gain, betraying their oaths and endangering institutional integrity.
Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) didn’t mince words: ‘DCIS will pursue and expose corrupt contractors and government officials who abuse their positions of trust to line their own pockets with illegal kickbacks and gratuities.’ He emphasized that joint enforcement efforts ensured both defendants paid the price—pleading guilty and forfeiting every dollar they stole.
John Strong, FBI Special Agent in Charge for North Carolina, called it a pact to defraud: ‘These defendants made a deal with each other to defraud the government. Instead of conducting business in the best interest of the American public, they chose to line their own pockets.’ The investigation was led by DCIS, the FBI, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command-Major Procurement Fraud Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Bragdon is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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