A federal jury has convicted a US Navy reserve commander n connection with a bribery scheme involving Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghan nationals.
This marks the first trial conviction related to the Afghan Allies Protection Act.
The commander was found guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery and false writing, bribery and conspiracy to conceal money laundering.
He was suspected of accepting bribes from Afghan nationals in exchange for drafting, submitting, and falsely certifying letters of recommendation for SIV applications to the US Department of State.
According to court documents and trial evidence, the commander signed over 20 fake letters claiming to know and supervise Afghan nationals requesting SIVs.
These letters disguised the applicants as translators for US military troops, claiming that their lives were in danger from the Taliban but that they posed no threat to US national security.
Pittmann received several thousand dollars in bribes in exchange for his illegal services, which were conducted through an intermediary.
A federal district court judge will decide the final sentence based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory circumstances.