An Army Sergeant pleaded guilty to accepting $100,000 in bribes and had to forfeit his 2008 Cadillac Escalade
Photo: © General Motors
Some people will do anything for a chance to own a Cadillac Escalade. For Sergeant First-Class James Edward Norris, his thirst for horsepower will cost him 51 months in prison.
Norris, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and one count of money laundering. Norris admitted to taking more than $100,000 in bribes, in exchange for allowing Afgan truck drivers to pinch thousands of gallons of fuel from Forward Operating Base in Gardez, Afghanistan.
The drivers then sold the stolen fuel on the black market.
According to a May 21, 2015 press release from The United States Department of Justice, Norris mailed the money back to the US. When he got back from deployment, he used $31,000 in cash to purchase a 2008 Cadillac Escalade – then used another $30,000 to buy a custom built 2014 Hardcore Choppers Motorcycle.
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Norris was also ordered to pay $176,100 in restitution by Chief US District Judge Clay D. Land of the Middle District of Georgia.
Norris enlisted in the Army 1991 and has earned a Bronze Star, as well as numerous other awards during his career. During the time of the scheme, Norris was a Petroleum Supply Specialist, which is how he had access to the fuel.
The 2008 Cadillac Escalade he was ordered to forfeit came with a 6.2-liter V8 engine and 403 horsepower. It’s definitely an impressive vehicle, but not extraordinary enough to trade four years in prison for, just saying.
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Via: Army Times
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