U.S. Military Contractor in Afghanistan Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Offering Bribes to a US Army Official

14th May 2015

A New York federal judge sentenced Akbar Ahmed Sherzai, an independent contractor for a trucking company in Afghanistan that was responsible for delivering fuel to U.S. Army installations, to four years in prison for offering $54,000 in bribes to a U.S. Army soldier to falsify documents confirming fuel shipments to the Army that were never actually delivered.

Sherzai, 50, of Centreville, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and was ordered to forfeit $54,000 in addition to his prison sentence.

In April 2013, Sherzai was working for a local Afghan trucking company contracted to transport fuel between U.S. military bases in Afghanistan when he approached a U.S. military serviceman to discuss instances in which his company failed to deliver the fuel—called “no-show” missions—which resulted in a $75,000 fine to his company for each no-show.  Sherzai offered bribes to the serviceman to falsify documents to confirm deliveries, so that Sherzai’s company and others could recover the fines they had paid for no-shows.  On several occasions, Sherzai paid cash bribes to the serviceman, who, unbeknownst to Sherzai, was working with law enforcement.  In total, Sherzai paid the serviceman $54,000 to falsify documents relating to nine deliveries, allowing his company and others to avoid or recover $675,000 in fines.

This matter was investigated by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, FBI, ICE-HSI and CID.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Daniel Butler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amir H. Toossi of the Eastern District of New York.

The case is U.S. v. Ahmed Sherzai, case number 1:14-cr-00060, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.