http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17191029/
U.S. contractor sentenced in Iraq scam Three Army Reserve officers indicted; ex-Pentagon employee pleads guilty The Associated Press Updated: 7:30 p.m. ET Feb. 16, 2007 WASHINGTON - A U.S. businessman whose companies made more than $8 million in Iraq reconstruction money through a gifts-for-contracts scheme was sentenced Friday to nearly four years in prison. Philip H. Bloom, who has lived in Romania for many years, pleaded guilty last year to bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He admitted that he bribed military personnel with jewelry, computers, cigars and sexual favors. He was sentenced to 46 months in prison Friday, a sentence that his attorney said was reduced because he has cooperated in a federal investigation. Bloom, who controlled companies in Iraq and Romania, bid on projects using dummy corporations. Contractors and military officials made sure Bloom received the contracts and, in exchange, received gifts such as cash, premium airline seats, jewelry and sexual favors from women at his Baghdad villa. Three U.S. Army Reserve officers were indicted last week as part of the case. Col. Curtis G. Whiteford of Utah, Lt. Col. Debra M. Harrison of New Jersey and Lt. Col. Michael B. Wheeler of Wisconsin were accused of steering contracts to Bloom between 2003 and 2005. In return, prosecutors said, they and their accomplices shared an estimated $1 million in cash, and were showered with gifts. Harrison's husband, William Driver, was charged with helping smuggle over $300,000 into the U.S., part of which was used for home improvements, prosecutors said. Attorney John Nassikas said he hopes to ask for a further reduction in Bloom's sentence as the case unfolds. "He's very much an important witness," Nassikas said Friday. "We hope to get back to court in the near future." Also Friday, a former Pentagon employee pleaded guilty to accepting illegal gratuities as part of the scheme. Steven Merkes, who served as a logistics planner in Germany, admitted taking steps to benefit Bloom. In exchange, he received a job offer and $24,000. © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17191029/ +++ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
