Navy Reserve officer convicted in Afghan visa bribery scheme

A Navy Reserve commander faces up to 45 years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of bribery and other charges related to fake recommendation letters he wrote for Afghans seeking visas to live in the United States.

Cmdr. Jeromy Pittmann, of Pensacola, Fla., was convicted Friday in New Hampshire of one charge of bribery and false writing, separate single charges of bribery and false writing, and conspiracy to commit money laundering to conceal the bribes after a four-day trial, court records show.

His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 21. A federal judge will consider federal guidelines and other statutory factors before sentencing Pittmann, the Department of Justice said in a statement Friday.

Pittmann, a former civilian supervisory engineer at Naval Support Activity Naples, was charged in January 2022 with writing more than 20 false recommendation letters claiming he knew and supervised Special Immigrant Visa applicants in their roles as translators for the U.S. Army and NATO.

He also affirmed that the applicants were in danger because the Taliban considered them traitors, and he declared that they did not pose a threat to national security, according to court documents.

https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2024-07-16/navy-seabee-commander-convicted-bribery-14503361.html