February 21, 2014
Photo courtesy globaltimes.cn
A soldier in the US Army pleaded guilty Wednesday of taking nearly $60,000 from an Afghan trucking company as part of a plan to divert fuel trucks from a US military post. The soldier falsely recorded that the fuel had been used and charged accordingly.
Spc. Albert Kelly III appeared in US District Court in Louisville, Kentucky, where he admitted to diverting fuel-carrying trucks from Forward Operating Base Salerno, located near the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, and fudging information on the deliveries in exchange for cash.
The 28-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison, according to the Associated Press, and answered only with “Yes, sir” and “No, sir” when he was addressed by US Magistrate Judge James Moyer.
Prosecutors alleged that Kelly diverted fuel from November 2011 through January 2012, ultimately misplacing 25,000 gallons a fuel worth $4 each. It is expected that one of the conditions of Kelly’s sentence will be repaying that $100,000.
Don Meier, Kelly’s public defender, told reporters that Kelly is scheduled to leave the military in July, but a sentencing before may make it more likely that he will be dishonorably discharged. This characterization of service means that a soldier will lose all forms of military benefits. It is often equated with a felony conviction, with US federal law denying dishonorably discharged veterans the right to own personal weapons.