Army Master Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Bribery and Money Laundering Arising in Iraq
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 16, 2009 |
Ronald Joseph Radcliffe, age 43, today pled guilty in United States District Court before Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren to bribery and money laundering charges arising from Radcliffe’s tour of duty as an Army Master Sergeant in Iraq in 2004-2005. Before deploying to Iraq with the 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry (Light), Radcliffe’s last residence was in Hawaii.
Florence T. Nakakuni, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that Radcliffe faces maximum terms of imprisonment of 15 and 20 years on the bribery and money laundering charges, respectively, when he is sentenced by District Judge David A. Ezra on February 8, 2010. According to information produced in court, Radcliffe’s duties included dealing with Turkish and Iraqi companies who wanted to obtain Army contracts which could result in earnings of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Radcliffe admitted that he received at least $37,659.13 in return for being influenced in the contracting process. The money laundering charges arose from transactions involving the proceeds of the bribery.
The prosecution was the result of an investigation by the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Marshall Silverberg.