Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Nicole Zapata, from Tampa, Fla. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Markus Castaneda)

Florida Navy Commander Sentenced To Prison For Afghan Visa Bribery Scheme

Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Nicole Zapata, from Tampa, Fla. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Markus Castaneda)
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Markus Castaneda)

A U.S. Navy Reserve Commander from Florida has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his involvement in a bribery scheme that exploited the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for Afghan nationals.

Jeromy Pittmann, 53, of Pensacola, was convicted in July of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, making false statements, and conspiring to commit money laundering. He accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from Afghan nationals in exchange for writing fraudulent letters of recommendation for SIV applications.

The SIV program is designed to provide a pathway to the United States for Afghan nationals who worked as translators for the U.S. military and face threats due to their service.

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Pittmann falsely claimed to have personally known and supervised the applicants, putting their safety and the integrity of the program at risk.

“By protecting Afghan nationals who risk their personal safety to help the U.S. government, the SIV program is essential for the security of U.S. military and diplomatic personnel in Afghanistan,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Jeromy Pittmann, however, used his position of authority over the program to benefit foreign nationals who paid him bribes, falsely asserting that they had served the United States. Today’s sentence demonstrates that the Justice Department has zero tolerance for those who place their self-interest ahead of our national security.”

“Pittmann’s participation in this bribery scheme not only jeopardized the integrity of the SIV program, which protects our allies, but also introduced significant security risks to our nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners will continue to hold accountable those who exploit government processes for personal gain, ensuring that the safety of the public and our warfighters is preserved.”

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The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies, including the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, and the Diplomatic Security Service.

“The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is firmly committed to protecting the integrity of all U.S. visas and travel documents,” said Deputy Assistant Director Greg Batman of DSS. “This case is the result of a strong partnership among federal law enforcement agencies and DSS’ global network of special agents working together to stop visa and passport crimes, and to stop criminals from earning illegal income by exploiting U.S. visas, passports, and foreign nationals.”

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