Jeromy Pittmann, Bribery Scheme, Florida 2024

A U.S. Navy Reserve Commander from Florida has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a years-long bribery scheme involving Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghan nationals.

Jeromy Pittmann, 53, of Pensacola, accepted bribe payments from Afghan nationals in exchange for drafting, submitting, and verifying fraudulent letters of recommendation for Afghan nationals who applied for SIVs with the U.S. Department of State.

Pittmann signed over 20 letters in which he fraudulently represented that he personally knew and had supervised the Afghan national visa applicants while they worked as translators in support of the U.S. military and NATO; that the applicants’ lives were in jeopardy because the Taliban considered them to be traitors; and that, based on his personal knowledge of the applicants, he believed they did not pose any threat to the national security of the United States.

However, in truth, Pittmann did not know the applicants and had no basis for recommending them for SIVs. In exchange for the fraudulent letters, Pittmann received several thousands of dollars in bribes.

Pittmann was convicted by a jury in the District of New Hampshire after a four-day trial of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, making a materially false writing, and conspiring to commit money laundering.

“By protecting Afghan nationals who risk their personal safety to help the U.S. government, the SIV program is essential for the security of U.S. military and diplomatic personnel in Afghanistan,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Pittmann was sentenced to 30 months in prison on July 12 for his role in the bribery scheme. He will also face three years of supervised release.

“Pittmann’s participation in this bribery scheme not only jeopardized the integrity of the SIV program, which protects our allies, but also introduced significant security risks to our nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office.

Pittmann deliberately chose self-enrichment over service when he violated federal law in his lengthy bribery scheme. He also compromised the integrity of the Afghan SIV system, which is intended for those who faithfully performed activities while working for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Afghanistan.

Related Federal Cases