Iraq Vet Broek Admits to War Profiteering Scheme

TACOMA, WA – Harold L. Broek, 49, a retired Lieutenant Colonel who served as a contracting officer in Iraq, admitted today to a calculated scheme to enrich himself at the expense of the United States government. Broek pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to criminal conflict of interest, a charge carrying a potential five-year prison sentence. The case exposes a blatant abuse of power and a callous disregard for the integrity of the military contracting process.

According to court records, Broek, while Chief of Contracting at the Tikrit Regional Contracting Center in Tikrit, Iraq, established a company called Global Motion. He directed his family in Washington State to create the entity specifically to receive contracts from an Iraqi company, Avalon International Limited, to which he was illegally awarding government business. This wasn’t oversight; it was a meticulously planned operation.

The scheme revolved around an illegal agreement with Avalon’s owner, Rohit Goel. Goel would receive U.S. government contracts and then subcontract portions of the work to Broek’s Global Motion. Broek’s company would then pocket a hefty 30% of the profit, with Avalon fronting the initial costs. Before departing Iraq in 2007, Broek actively manipulated the system to favor Avalon, even signing waivers to shorten deadlines and diminish competition – essentially rigging the bidding process.

One particularly egregious example involved a $162,151.00 contract for line-of-sight radios awarded to Avalon in July 2007. Avalon immediately subcontracted the work to Global Motion, providing nearly $100,000 in funding. Global Motion then purchased the radios for $58,733, shipped them to Iraq, and retained the remaining $29,871.90 as profit. This wasn’t a legitimate business transaction; it was a direct transfer of taxpayer money into Broek’s pocket.

Tax returns reveal Global Motion profited a total of $52,400.16 in 2007 and 2008. As part of the plea agreement, Broek is now obligated to make full restitution to the United States in that amount. However, restitution doesn’t erase the betrayal of public trust. The investigation was a joint effort by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

Broek is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on October 15, 2013. Assistant United States Attorney David Reese Jennings is prosecuting the case. This conviction serves as a stark reminder that those who exploit their positions of authority for personal gain will be held accountable, even years after the fact. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing.