Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty To Fraud

(AP)  A U.S. defense contractor has admitted paying a bribe and submitting sham bids to profit from a contract to provide Iraqi security forces with bulletproof vests.

Diana Bakir Demilta pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The plea was filed in December 2007, but unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington as part of an ongoing investigation by multiple federal agencies.

Demilta is cooperating with the investigation in hopes of getting a reduced sentence.

She is a U.S. citizen and president of Global-Link Distribution LLC, a defense contracting company. The company was organized under U.S. law and operated out of the International Zone in Baghdad

Demilta admitted orchestrating the scheme between September 2004 and March 2005 so a Kuwaiti firm would win the contract and funnel the funds back to her. She also admitted paying at least $60,000 to a public official to influence the bidding process. The official was not named in court documents, but was described as a senior contracting adviser with the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team that was responsible for developing Iraqi police forces.

According to court documents, the official tipped Demilta off on Sept. 20, 2004, to the upcoming contract for 540 bulletproof vests. The official sent her an e-mail telling her to "use (her) various contacts to obtain three bids" — the minimum number required by federal regulations for the competitive bidding process.

The next day, Demilta sent an e-mail instructing the owner of the Kuwaiti firm to submit three invoices — "one in your name, one in mine and invent another." She told the owner to inflate one bid by 60 percent of the retail price and another by 80 percent.

The Kuwaiti firm sent in the lowest bid, at $375 per vest, and won the contract for $202,500. Demilta oversaw delivery of the vests to the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team warehouse in Baghdad on December 15, 2004. In February 2005, she prepared a voucher and presented it to an Army agent and collected the $202,500 in cash.

The court documents say the Defense Department lost more than $70,000 because of the scheme. Demilta has agreed to reimburse those funds as part of her plea agreement.

[Dgunner]

They didn't say the vests were faulty. They just caught the crooks who built a false contract avenue. I glad the vests were good. If they proved to be faulty? The entire chain would have had to be prosecuted . This may have hindered the war effort. We all know we have the best equiptment any soldier needs for playing in a sand box. It does seem a little cheap for a good vest.T hat alone should have sent up a red flag.America the country they love to cheat. I AM STILL WAITING ON THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS CASE. tHESE LOW-LIFE MFKERS NEED TO BE SHOT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN FRONT OF THIER FAMILIES.

[SanityPlease]

And how is it that no one noticed this until now, more than ... 2 years later
Posted by brianbwb-2009 at 4:16 PM : May 27, 2009

These records alongwith many many more disturbing cases of corruption have been sealed by the courts,

Goes to show that the courts and whole justice system was in cahoots with the corrupt Bush/Cheney administration. US Courts and judges were all bought and paid for by CHENEY'S cronies.

This is not surprising when CHENEY's net worth is now over $200 million, blood money profits by sending young Americans to die in a war which was a hoax to begin with. Trading American blood for dollars, that was the mantra of the Bush administration.

[beach671]

Small potatoes. Very small.

Heh how'd you like a federal contract for $55 million to fix trucks for an airbase on Guam? Yeah? then the firetrucks all sit broken and the contractor goes home for the weekend?

oh yeah money money...gotta role in the money money.

Uh-oh. B-2 crashed. and burned. and burned. and burned. Crap call the Guam Fire Department in! This $2 Billion planes been burnin for 6 hours full of nuclear weapons and we aint got no firetrucks!

Oh crap General. Sorry I didn't have firetrucks for you to use. Am I going to lose my contract? No? Heh you won't tell anyone it's Day & Zimmerman out of Philly will you? No you won't tell those morons in Congress we've been providing crappy service all over the world for DOD paying very little for some half ass "mechanics" instead of paying for and hiring real mechanics and providing a service will you? I'll end your career General....do you know how many politicians I've got tied around my finger with the profits I've made?

Shove the burnt B-2 bomber up yer ass. I'm keeping my contract. Heck I got away with this much....plus this was Rumsfleds plan man and we sure swindled those tards in Congress didn't we? Here's $200,000....keep your mouth shut General and you won't be found dead in your home and everyone will think you comitted suicide.

Hal Yoh's a powerful man. The retired military officers running the shows ain't no force to be ignored either.

That's just one powerhouse bankrolling off the US Treasury. There's many, many more.

[dahizzle]

Another one of Cheney's cronies going to the slammer...Bush isn't here to pardon anymore of 'em. Throw away the key....

[wogerwabbit]

Posted by weedapeap1 at 6:32 PM : May 27, 2009

Rather than eliminating the victims, we'd be smarter to start with the perpetrators of the crime by storming millionaire enclaves like the pirates they think we are. Argh! I see buried treasure in Palm Beach!

[powmadeak47]

Didn't anyone tell her she was supposed to kick-back 20% to the Republican National Committee?

[powmadeak47]

Didn't anyone tell her she was supposed to kick-back 20% to the Republican National Committee?

[dennisgreen5]

Did you enjou your Memorial Day holiday this past Monday?

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by jojo9357-2009

You are correct, it is not related directly to this story, but you might want to check out "Dragon skin vs Interceptor", which shows that the army insisted on a (proven inferior in independent side-by-side testing) type of body armor (Interceptor") for US soldiers, over a much more effective armor (Dragon skin"), even going so far as banning it, (2 months before it tested it) although soldiers who were charged with protecting generals and the like were given "Dragon Skin" under the table.

Even soldiers who bought Dragon skin with their own money were told they could not use it.

[brianbwb-2009]

"She also admitted paying at least $60,000 to a public official to influence the bidding process. The official was not named in court documents, but was described as a senior contracting adviser with the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team"

So why is this treasonous thief being protected? that also smells.