We all watched the mad rush to leave Afghanistan back in August – especially the baby handed from the crowd in Kabul up to the soldier. We wanted families to be reunited and to escape terrorists. Many have leaped into action to either use their connections to get Afghans out of the country or to set up homes here in the United States and around the world. The current state of affairs is not ideal. No matter the end result, bribery is never seen as the answer. Using a position of power for monetary gain is always a hard pass in federal government.
Special Visas for Afghans Bribery Scheme – or Alleged Bribery Scheme?
On March 11, a Florida man who serves the U.S. Navy as a Commander in the Reserves faced criminal charges for an alleged bribery scheme that involved special visas for Afghan nationals. Jeromy Pittmann currently lives in Naples, Italy. According to his court documents, he was paid to draft, submit or falsely verify false letters of recommendations for Afghans applying to the Department of State for their Special Immigrant Visa (SIV).
While many have served in Afghanistan and lamented the lack of SIVs available for their translators after the withdrawal, falsifying documents or accepting bribes only serves to further deepen the issue. Pittmann allegedly signed over 20 false letters, stating that the applicant wasn’t a threat to the U.S., that he had supervised applicants as translators for the U.S. Army and Nato, and that the applicant was in danger of retaliation from the Taliban for their time in service to the U.S. For this work, Pittmann allegedly received thousands of dollars as bribes.
Only Charge Following Afghanistan Exit?
Pittmann appeared in court, and he was charged with accepting bribes, as well as conspiring to commit visa fraud. Conviction for both accounts would result in up to 20 years of prison time.
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) are investigating the case. Of course, charges made against someone are only an allegation, and he is subject to the determinations for any sentencing by a federal district court judge.
Time will tell if this Florida man is the only one with bribery charges following the swift exit from Afghanistan. While many desire to support the cause, it’s always important to check every effort. Human nature means that for every honest effort, someone is always out there trying to use the system.
