US officer 'stole Iraq aid funds'

[sabra]

Source: BBC

A US army captain has been charged with stealing nearly $700,000 intended for emergency reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Michael Dung Nguyen, 28, is accused of stealing the money and sending it back home while he was stationed in Iraq between April 2007 and February 2009.

He allegedly spent the money on luxury cars, electronics and furniture.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges including theft of government property and money laundering.

...

At a district court hearing, prosecutors claimed Nguyen stole $690,000 (£484,575) from the Commanders' Emergency Response Program (Cerp) - a pot of money designated to local commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan for urgent relief and reconstruction needs.

They allege Nguyen, who was working as a battalion civil affairs officer in Iraq, mailed bundles of $100 bills back to his home in Oregon state.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7927581.stm

[KoKo]

1. I wonder who else besides Nguyen mailed home bundles of bills...

There were reports that pallets of cash bundled neatly were lying around Iraq when the kids from the Heritage Foundation landed and were put in charge of "Reconstruction."

[n2doc]

5. look for newly retired officers with really nice houses and cars

'cause the military doesn't pay that well....

[HopeHoops]

2. Too bad for him that he wasn't found out during the Bush era - he would have gotten a PROMOTION!

[Quantess]

4. Or, Halliburton would have hired him.

[Blue_Tires]

3. nice cold cell waiting for him....

[damntexdem]

6. How disgusting! Those funds were meant to be stolen by Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater, and others.

It's nearly unethical for an army captain to have stolen them instead!

;-)

[classysassy]

7. Cpt Nguyen

will proberly end up in Levenworth,his commander in chief(thief),goes to Dallas and live likew a king.