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U.S. Navy commander pleads guilty in massive bribery case

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A U.S. Navy commander pleaded guilty Tuesday in a massive bribery scheme involving a longtime military contractor in Asia who allegedly offered luxury travel, prostitutes and other bribes to Navy officers in exchange for confidential information. Jose Luis Sanchez, 42, is the highest-ranking official to plead the guilty in the case,…

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A U.S. Navy commander pleaded guilty Tuesday in a massive bribery scheme involving a longtime military contractor in Asia who allegedly offered luxury travel, prostitutes and other bribes to Navy officers in exchange for confidential information.

Jose Luis Sanchez, 42, is the highest-ranking official to plead the guilty in the case, which rocked the Navy when the first charges were filed in 2013. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced March 27.

Sanchez, who lives in San Diego and remains on active duty, was asked to silently read four passages of a 24-page plea agreement and say if the wrongdoing described was accurate.

“Yes, sir,” he told U.S. Magistrate Judge David Bartick each time.

via U.S. Navy commander pleads guilty in massive bribery case.

1. Whatever they’re paying you, it ain’t worth it.

2. I’m curious why they prosecuted this in federal court, rather than via a military court martial. Anyone know?

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  1. Paul H. Lemmen

    Reblogged this on A Conservative Christian Man.

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  2. RetRsvMike

    My guess as to why they did it Fed instead of Court Martial would be in order to roll the defendant more easily as a witness and re-use evidence against the civilian contractor in a later trial…. pure speculation, but that was my gut take on it.

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  3. Quartermaster

    My guess is similar to Mike’s in the first instance. The second is that since the contractor is civilian that the Navy simply gave up any claim it would normally have to the case because it was ordered to do so. IIRC, if civilians are involved in the wrongdoing, and the Justice department so wishes, they can take the entire case.

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  4. Stormy

    Policy. See Appendix 3 of the Manual for Courts Martial. “Memorandum of Understanding Between The Departments of Justice and Defense Relating to the Investigation and Prosecution of Certain Crimes.” Fraud is one of those crimes.

    Disclaimer: Rant ahead. Not about this particular case, but related.

    From the Navy’s side, its a win. Once NCIS turns the investigation over to the DoJ, the Navy is done. In particular, the operational commander no longer has any legal responsibility (or accountability) for what happens next. No muss, no fuss. DoJ ensures due process. urp

    For the defendant, you’re screwed. Any evidence which might excuse or mitigate the allegations? Oh, that’s was on your *.mil email account, which you were locked out of the minute the investigation started. Feel free to attempt to subpoena the DoD or DoJ for those records. Any context that might exist for how why you knowingly, or unknowingly, broke the rules…gone. If you have ever so much as taken home a single item of tax-payer funded equipment (the wrench set mixing 6 pieces never made it to DRMO, as an example), you’re looking at white collar prison. You’ve got exactly one COA when faced with defending yourself in the courtroom against the US Government: Plead out. Unless your daddy owns Wall St., you’re going to lose, because the federal prosecutor WILL NOT STOP until he gets his (at least) one felony conviction. You don’t have enough money for the lawyer, and certainly not the kind who know anything about military life, context, and justice.

    While I have not been on the receiving end of this particular joy ride, I just spent the last 26 months watching one of the most excellent men I’ve ever met go through this very grinder because. . .he screwed up. Negligent? Probably. Premeditated fraud? I don’t see it. Did the system care to distinguish? Not a whit. We’d all have been saved a lot of pain and and taxpayer dollars if the case had been handled at Admiral’s Mast. But then, awkward questions might have been asked of the chain of command and the answers might have been embarrassing to other senior parties involved. . .

    Just wait when sexual assault gets added to the list of “certain crimes.”

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  5. Navy Officer Admits He Took Bribes « Engineering Evil

    […] U.S. Navy commander pleads guilty in massive bribery case […]

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  6. Quartermaster

    Refusing the info on your email account is grounds for appeal. Still expensive, and should not have to be done. Due process, alas, is something that is only pro forma if you are in the military. Another reason to tell kids to stay away, far away, from the military these days.

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  7. Stormy

    QM,

    There is nothing to appeal. The government won’t deny the request, they just drag it out fulfilling the request until you financially, mentally, and spiritually break. Remember, assuming you bought your own attorney, the meter is running. Even if you win, you’re wiped out. Capitulation with a plea agreement is what they’re after, anyways. The don’t want a trial, they want the check-mark in the “win” column. Once you plead, there is no appeal, whatsoever. When you plead, you must agree to all terms of the charge as specified BY THE PROSECUTION. The judge will look you in the eye, and say, “Is this true? Did it really happen this way?” Anything other than a, “Yes sir” from the defendant, and the plea deal is off and you go to trial.

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  8. Quartermaster

    If they don’t produce it within a timely manner it is appealable. Your attorney can also go before the judge to demand enforcement of the demand and request costs. If they don’t then a show cause hearing can be held to allow the prosecution to defend themselves against contempt of court charges.

    Maybe this seems idealistic, but I have discussed this with attorney friends and it is doable.

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