Army Officer, Wife Guilty In Bribe Scheme

Guilty Plea In Money Laundering, Bribe Scheme Involving Millions Of Dollars, Iraq Contracts

(AP)  An Army officer and his wife have pleaded guilty in a money laundering scheme involving contracts in Iraq, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday.

Maj. John Cockerham, 43, pleaded guilty to one count each of bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery and money laundering, the Justice Department said. His wife, Melissa, 41, pleaded guilty to a count of money laundering.

The pleas were taken on Jan. 31, but weren't unsealed until Tuesday, the Justice Department said.

John Cockerham admitted taking or being promised more than $9 million in bribes for awarding contracts while stationed in Kuwait, the Justice Department said. He was responsible for awarding contracts worth millions of dollars including those for bottled water.

Once he agreed to take the bribes, Cockerham told contractors to pay his wife, sister and others to hide the activity, the Justice Department said.

Melissa Cockerham admitted that she accepted more than $1 million in illegal bribe payments on her husband's behalf and that she stored it in safe deposit boxes at banks in Kuwait and Dubai, the Justice Department said.

A trial for John Cockerham's sister, Carolyn Blake, is set to begin Oct. 27.

As part of the plea agreements, the government said it would drop two counts of bribery and a count of conspiracy to obstruct justice against John Cockerham and a count of conspiracy and a count of conspiracy to obstruct justice against Melissa Cockerham.

Messages left for the attorneys listed in court documents as representing the Cockerhams were not returned Tuesday.

[patriot12436]

squidly8
The dishonorable is the worst discharge you can receive. they should have tried these people for treason and made an example out of them.

[offtheback]

I would also like to know why there is no mention of any charges being filed against the contractors who paid the funds. WHO are they? Please DO tell!


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Posted by k9weimer

Hey, hey, now you''re messen with DC''s retirement. There will be none of that, or you might wind up at Gitmo.

[Gary Kempf]

cyberus

True.

[cyberus-2009]

----
Isn''''t amazing it does not mention the corporation/s paying the bribes? Only the people accepting them, It does smell of haliburton envolvment....

Posted by navpro
----

Why do you think they gave them a sweet plea deal?

To make sure they shut up and don''t reveal embarassing details like that.

[donevis-2009]

Well there you have it!! Money so tight in this country people are worried to death, while there''s so much loose money over there they can''t hide all so it winds up getting stolen. 46 billion would get all the school systems in our country out of the red but we would rather spend it on another country and killing.. "God Speed USA"

[k9weimer]

I would also like to know why there is no mention of any charges being filed against the contractors who paid the funds. WHO are they? Please DO tell!

[k9weimer]

I would like to know why the sister and "others" paid money by the contractors were not charged as well? If money falls from the sky, how ignorant were they to not know "sumthin wuz up"?

[patriot12436]

McVet
I am afraid i have to agree you are right this time, however if we get enough democrats who have a backbone in congress maybe we can go after him anyway.

[tootall10142]

SO SO SO SO SO SO WHAT?

[faith_in_w]

Let this be a lesson for all, the big guy always gets his cut.

[docpeter-2009]

At least we now know where some of the lost USA $$ went in Iraq.

[barbaraf4]

"Melissa Cockerham admitted that she accepted more than $1 million in illegal bribe payments on her husband''s behalf and that she stored it in safe deposit boxes at banks in Kuwait and Dubai, the Justice Department said."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At least she stashed it offshore. Now they will have a nice tax-free retirement nest egg.

[mcvet]

mcdazz
Not before bush leaves office.

Posted by patriot12436 at 05:46 AM : Jun 25, 2008

Are you kidding? If McSame is elected it will go right on, business as usual!! ROFLMAO Sieg Heil McSame!

[squidly8]

Worse than Dishonorable discharge is the Bad Conduct Discharge or as we called it in the Navy - the Big Chicken Dinner.

[Gary Kempf]

harpoot;

They (Justice Department) only seem to prosecute those that Cheney must approve, I would venture to guess that a list of potential indictments must be submitted to Cheney in advance.

[harpoot]

Cheney-burton all the way. Guess they overlooked the companies paying the bribes since that is SOP for the GOP.

[Gary Kempf]

Once he agreed to take the bribes, Cockerham told contractors to pay his wife, sister and others to hide the activity, the Justice Department said.

Isn''t amazing it does not mention the corporation/s paying the bribes? Only the people accepting them, It does smell of haliburton envolvment....

[patriot12436]

Another thing to consider. Are they bopth being tried in civilian federal courtsa ? The major should be tried my military court martial since he is on active duty. Both are federal courts but a military court has less stringent requirements as to proving guilt. Better asuring a conviction and no technicalities to get him off. The wife will be tried in federal cvivilian court as the military has no legal jurisdiction over her.

[patriot12436]

mcdazz
Not before bush leaves office.

[longtree-2009]

The patriot Major should be reduced in ranck to Private, lose all benefits and awarded a dishonorable discharge. The rest of them should be put in prison. But doubtful anything will really happen to them. Crime does pay, even when caught. Officers are just as capable of being scum buckets as are the enlisted.