Army Contracting Officer Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Bribery

WASHINGTON – A U.S. Army contracting officer was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Christine M. Arguello in Denver to 60 months in prison for accepting money and items of value in return for being influenced in the awarding of Army contracts, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.

Judge Arguello also ordered Army Major Roderick D. Sanchez, 45, of Pueblo, Colo., to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term, and to pay a $15,000 fine.  In addition, Sanchez was ordered to forfeit Rolex watches, real estate and other property purchased with the proceeds of the bribery scheme.  Sanchez pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on Oct. 27, 2010, to one count of bribery.

According to court documents, Sanchez was employed by the U.S. Army and deployed overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait as a contracting officer at various times from approximately 2004 until 2007.  Sanchez’s duties included reviewing bids submitted by contractors for Army contracts, recommending the award of Army contracts to specific contractors, and ultimately awarding those contracts to government contractors.  Sanchez admitted that during that time period he accepted illicit and secret bribe payments from foreign companies seeking to secure Army contracts.  In return, Sanchez admitted he used his official position to steer Army contracts to these companies.  During the course of this criminal scheme, Sanchez accepted Rolex watches, cash payments and other things of value worth more than $200,000.     

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Justin V. Shur and Trial Attorney Eric L. Gibson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.  The case was investigated by the FBI, Army Criminal Investigation Command, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.