Grimy Times has uncovered a shocking case of bribery within the U.S. military. James Edward Norris, a 41-year-old U.S. Army Sergeant from Fort Irwin, California, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for taking bribes from Afghan truck drivers while deployed in Afghanistan.
Norris was stationed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Gardez in Afghanistan, where he conspired with other soldiers to solicit and accept bribes from local Afghan truck drivers in exchange for permitting them to take thousands of gallons of fuel from the base. The bribery scheme, which lasted for an unknown duration, saw Norris personally paid a total of $100,000.
The bribery scheme was uncovered, and Norris was subsequently charged with accepting bribes. In connection with his guilty plea, Norris admitted to conspiring with other soldiers to accept approximately $2,000 per day from local Afghan truck drivers. The total amount of bribes accepted by Norris and his co-conspirators is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Norris’s sentencing was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Clay D. Land of the Middle District of Georgia. In addition to the 51-month prison sentence, Norris was also ordered to pay $176,100 in restitution and to forfeit two vehicles he purchased with money from the bribery scheme and $70,000 in cash that he received from the scheme.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency’s Investigative Support Division investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney John Keller of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
Two other U.S. Army soldiers, Seneca Hampton and Anthony Tran, are also facing charges related to the bribery scheme. Hampton pleaded guilty on February 10, 2015, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2015. Tran, a former U.S. Army specialist, was indicted on March 10, 2015, and remains pending trial.
The case highlights the deep-seated corruption within the U.S. military and the need for greater accountability. As Grimy Times continues to investigate this case, we will provide updates on the sentencing of Norris and the other defendants involved.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant/Respondent: James Edward Norris
Criminal Charges: Accepting bribes
City and State: Fort Irwin, California (originally from, now in Georgia)
Exact Date: April 2015 (sentencing)
Sentence or Outcome: 51 months in prison, $176,100 in restitution, forfeiture of two vehicles and $70,000 in cash
Dollar Amounts: $100,000 (total bribes accepted by Norris), $2,000 per day (bribes accepted by co-conspirators), $176,100 (restitution), $70,000 (cash forfeiture)
Related Federal Cases
- Frank A. Jalion Amaro, Bribery, Georgia 2023 · Washington
- Tiffany Fletcher, Bribery, Georgia 2019 · District of Columbia
- Orlando Clark, Bribery and Visa Fraud, Georgia 2023 · District of Columbia
- Nathan Koen, Bribery of a Public Official, Arkansas 2018 · Washington
- Georgia Psychiatric Facilities, Neglect and Abuse, GA, Not Specified · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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