https://cbs12.com/news/local/florida-navy-reserve-commander-of-pensacola-sentenced-for-afghan-visa-bribery-scheme-florida-news-november-5-2024

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A U.S. Navy Reserve Commander from Florida will spend a little over two years in jail after he was caught in a bribery scheme where he gave Afghan nationals Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs).

According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Jeromy Pittmann, 53, of Pensacola, would accept bribe payments from Afghan nationals in exchange for drafting, submitting and verifying fraudulent letters of recommendation for those who would apply for SIVs with the U.S. Department of State.

The DOJ says Pittmann signed over 20 letters in which he "fraudulently represented that he personally knew" and supervised the Afghan national visa applicants while they worked as translators in support of the U.S. military and NATO, and that the applicants' lives were in danger because the Taliban considered them to be traitors.

Pittmann also believed they did not pose any threat to the U.S. The DOJ says, in truth, Pittmann didn't know any of the applicants and had no basis for recommending the Afghan nationals for SIVs.

The DOJ continues Pittmann received several thousand dollars in bribes and to avoid detection he would receive bribe money through an intermediary and created false invoices purporting to show that Pittmann was receiving money for legitimate work unrelated to his military service.

On July 12,Pittmann was convicted by a jury in the District of New Hampshire after a four-day trial of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, making a materially false writing, and conspiring to commit money laundering.