Two More Indicted in Ongoing Defense Travel Fraud Investigation

NORFOLK, Va. – James Ogiste, 26, of Atlanta, Ga., and Travis Bowman, 23, of Pleasanton, Tex., were individually indicted by a Norfolk federal grand jury late yesterday on charges of wire fraud, false claims, and theft of government property. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the grand jury returned its indictments.  Ogiste and Bowman both face a maximum penalty of 35 in prison years if convicted.

            According to each indictment, Ogiste and Bowman were United States Marines assigned as administrators of the Defense Travel System, a computer system used to effect official travel.  The indictments charge that Ogiste and Bowman used their positions to fraudulently divert government travel funds to their own bank accounts by means of electronic transfers.  The indictments further allege that Ogiste defrauded the United States out of approximately $23,000, and Bowman defrauded the United States out of approximately $19,000.

            Prior to these indictments, three other individuals were charged in similar schemes to defraud the United States of travel funds.  Donald K. Duru, Quentin L. Posey, and Tyrone J. Sharpe, II, all have already been charged and found guilty of theft of government property in this ongoing fraud investigation.

            Donald K. Duru, 28, formerly an active duty Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., pled guilty on September 29, 2011 before United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson and will be sentenced on January 11, 2012.  He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and nearly $70,000 in restitution.

            Quentin L. Posey, formerly a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps assigned to Camp Lejeune, pled guilty to theft of government property on June 9, 2011.  Posey was sentenced on October 4, 2011, to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $139,444.85 in restitution.

            Tyrone J. Sharpe, formerly a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and assigned to Camp Lejeune, pled guilty on June 9, 2011.  Sharpe was sentenced on October 4, 2011, to five months in prison, seven months home confinement, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $39,234.10.

This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Naval Audit Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Kosky is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the United States.

            Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.