Former Army reserve officer pleads guilty in contracting scheme

[Shinobi]

AUSTIN — A former officer in the U.S. Army Reserves pleaded guilty Monday to bribery, conspiracy and money laundering charges in connection with a government contracting scheme in Balad, Iraq, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher said.

John Allen Rivard, 48, entered the plea before U.S. Magistrate Andrew W. Austin. Rivard pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired with a government contractor and accepted bribes to steer federally funded contracts to the contractor's company from April 2004 through August 2005. At the time, Rivard was deployed for logistical support near Balad.

In exchange for 5 percent of the contracts' values, Rivard awarded multimillion dollar contracts for such items as tractor trailers.

The total value of the contracts awarded was approximately $21 million, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Rivard said he received more than $220,000 in bribe payments. Rivard also confessed to conspiring with others in the U.S. to launder the proceeds of the bribery scheme, sending money to others to purchase, among other things, rent on a West Hollywood, Calif., apartment and a down payment on a new BMW convertible.

Rivard faces up to 30 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release and a maximum fine of $1.16 million. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Rivard has agreed to forfeit to the United States the property and assets he acquired during the bribery and money laundering scheme.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4991895.html