UNITED STATES NAVY RESERVE OFFICER SENTENCED FOR VISAS SCHEME
Getting a visa to the U.S. may take a lot of work since an applicant needs to go through many requirements, some even including tedious interviews. So, it was a shock when it was discovered that a United States Navy Reserve personnel had been involved in a bribery scheme about visas. With this, Cmdr. Jeromy Pittmann, 53, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 2 years and six months in jail by a federal court, which was originally a 45-year sentence. This decision was due to his yearslong involvement in the falsification of visa documents for Afghan nationals who had been convicted of over two years in prison.
His involvement includes drafting, submitting, and verifying fraudulent letters of recommendation for Afghan citizens applying for SIVs or Immigrant Visas through the State Department.
The Bribery Saga Scheme
In an investigation, it was found that from February 2018 to September 2020, Pittmann had accepted fixes in exchange for submitting and writing over 20 letters of recommendation stating that he knew and had supervised those visa applicants when they worked as translators for NATO and the U.S. in Afghanistan. The Department of Justice added that he claimed that the applicants were in danger and they were not a threat to national security. In reality, Pittmann did not know them and had no solid basis for his recommendations.
In exchange for the visa, he had received $500 per person, earning several thousands of dollars from the scheme. To avoid detection, he used other methods to receive the money, such as Western Union. He also created false invoices labeled “consultant services” by PITTMANN Enterprises to make them more legitimate.
During the investigation, it was found that an email from a co-conspirator in February 2018 stated that three Afghan citizens were willing to pay $500 each. Pittmann, the United States Navy Reserve personnel, had agreed to the bribe money. In a May of the same year email, Pittmann asked his co-conspirator about which base the Afghans had worked for. This was to add further information to their recommendation letters.
During his arrest, he was still a United States Navy Reserve officer spanning 20 years in service, with one deployment to Iraq and four in Afghanistan. He joined the organization in 2003.
Statement of Other Agencies on the Issue
According to a statement from John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, the bribery case only shows the betrayal of his oath to feed his personal intentions with no regard for how his actions would affect or threaten national security and harm Afghans, who had risked their lives to help the U.S.
In addition, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri mentioned that by protecting those Afghans who endangered their lives to help the U.S. government, the SIV program is vital for the security of U.S. military and diplomatic personnel in Afghanistan.
Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent, Greg Gross, even added that the action of this United States Navy Reserve officer had not only jeopardized the integrity of the SIV program but also was a huge risk to national security. Gross also added that NCIS and their partners will continue to hold accountable those who manipulate government procedures for personal gain.
The Department of Defense Inspector General Robert P. Storch also commented on the issue, stating that Pittmann did not have second thoughts and immediately chose self-enrichment over service. Aside from this, he also compromised the Afghan SIV system integrity, which is only intended for those people who truthfully worked on behalf of the U.S. government in Afghanistan. Storch even added that the Defense Criminal Investigative Service collaborates with its law enforcement counterparts to continually resolve and bring justice to those who abuse their powers.
The Risks Faced by the Interpreters
The State Department has issued legitimate visas of around 50,500 Special Immigrant Visas to Afghan nationals since 2009, provided that they had worked for the United States military during those two decades of war. After the withdrawal of U.S. forces in August 2021 from Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban, the circumstances became alarming for those who worked with the military as translators.
Former Army Major Matt Zeller, an advocate for helping the interpreters seek safety, mentioned that there are around 70,000 Afghans and their families who are on the verge of getting killed or tortured due to their involvement with U.S. military personnel.
Thousands are still in the line for visa approval, and in the third quarter of 2024, around 2,200 Afghan nationals and 6,700 family members were interviewed as part of the process. During this time, over 5,600 applications were denied or had their approval revoked. This is because they did not meet the standard requirements of the State Department.
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