Sgt. Christopher Ciampa admitted to stealing fuel from the U.S. military for resale on the black market in Afghanistan, a Justice Department release announced Tuesday.
Ciampa, who was first deployed to Afghanistan in February 2011, was in charge of Transportation Movement Requests for fuel. Between February and December of that year, he and his co-conspirators used his position to file false TMRs, steal thousands of gallons of fuel, and sell it to black markets in neighboring towns. According to the DOJ, Ciampa’s operation cost the U.S. government $10.8 million.
“Sgt. Ciampa took bribes to help steal millions of dollars’ worth of fuel meant to support U.S. military operations in Afghanistan,” said Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell. “His greed put his fellow soldiers at greater risk, and his actions stand in stark contrast to the integrity and sacrifice demonstrated every day by the men and women of our Armed Forces.”
He pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy to defraud the government.
Ciampa attempted to smuggle some of his profits back into the U.S., hiding cash in luggage and stereo equipment. He reportedly used his share of the proceeds to buy a truck “and other personal items.”
The disgraced sergeant “betrayed his unit and nation for personal profit,” said FBI Special Agent John Strong, who helped investigate the case. “These actions, especially in a wartime environment, damage the reputation of all soldiers and impede the success of coalition war efforts.”
Back in 2011, government officials were aware of the fuel losses, though weren’t sure whose fault they were. “The fuel that we’re bringing in — so much of it is missing, goes on the black market or winds up in the hands of the Taliban,” said Rep. Jim Moran, longtime member of the defense spending subcommittee, at the time. In January 2011 another Army sergeant was sentenced to seven years in prison for accepting bribes from a government contractor, also as part of a fuel theft scheme in Afghanistan.
Ciampa, 32, is a native of Lillington, North Carolina. His sentencing is scheduled for December 15, 2014.