WASHINGTON, USA: Cmdr. Jeremy Pittman, an officer in the U.S. Navy’s civil engineer corps, has been convicted of taking bribes in exchange for fraudulent visa paperwork, enabling over 20 unknown Afghan nationals to enter the United States illegally.
A federal jury found that Pittman, 53, provided false letters of recommendation for the Special Immigrant Visa program, which was intended to help Afghan cooperators escape Taliban retribution. Through a broker, Pittman received $500 per false visa document. His letters falsely claimed he supervised the applicants as translators for the U.S. military.
Pittman also falsified invoices to make his payments appear as legitimate “family support.” In a 2018 email to the broker, he expressed his desire for the money to continue to pay off debts.
Pittman was convicted of bribery and related conspiracy charges, facing a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison. Sentencing is set for October 21.
