Pentagon staff took $1.5m bribes

Pentagon staff took $1.5m bribes
From correspondents in Alexandria, Virginia

July 11, 2003 (AP) TWO former Pentagon officials were convicted today of taking more than $US1 million ($1.53 million) in bribes and accepting prostitutes and boxing match tickets from government contractors.

Robert Lee Neal Jr., 50, was convicted of conspiracy, extortion, money laundering, witness tampering and obstruction of justice. A Clinton appointee, he controlled a government program that distributed $US28 million annually to small minority-owned businesses. His top assistant, Francis Delano Jones Jr., 41, was convicted of the same charges. His lawyer said he would seek a new trial separate from the co-defendant.

Testimony indicated that some businesses that paid bribes received millions of dollars in government contracts. The men demanded bribes as high as $US100,000 ($152,555) each and overall received $US1.1 million ($1.68 million) in illegal funds.

Neal faces a maximum sentence of 125 years, and Jones faces 120 years at sentencing on October 3, although they will probably face much less under federal guidelines.

The jury also ordered the men to forfeit $US2 million ($3.05 million) to the government. Both men left their jobs in 2001, during the transition to the Bush administration

One witness testified that he provided the two men with two prostitutes each at a government conference in the US Virgin Islands.

That witness said his company received two contacts worth $US1.4 million ($2.14 million) with the assistance of Neal and Jones.

Another witness said he provided prostitutes for the men and paid for a 1997 trip to Las Vegas to see a heavyweight title bout between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.

Copyright: The Associated Press

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