And this week's Asshat goes to:Charlene Corley and her company C&D Distributors of South Carolina!!
Recently Corley, who owned the small parts supply company with her sister (now deceased) pled guilty to committing fraud and laundering money, and faces up to 40 years in prison.
The two exploited a loophole in the Defense Department's automated system, and bilked the Pentagon (and the tax-payers) out of 20.5 million dollars over the last six years.
C & D was caught when a purchasing agent noticed a bill for shipping two 19 cent washers that totaled over $900,000.00. The rest of the invoices (going back to 2000) were inspected, and the total actually spent by the sisters on shipping was around $68,000, vs. the $20+ million billed.
For example:
"$455,009 to ship three machine screws costing $1.31 each to Marines in Habbaniyah, Iraq".
and
"$293,451 to ship an 89-cent split washer to Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida".
The Pentagon's excuse? Apparently if parts are destined for high-priority conflict areas, there is no oversight.
My opinion? They could have taken that last $900,000 and hired 18 more accountants to keep better track of this kind of stuff.
The sister(s) don't have the money any more. The government is going to sell their fine mansions and expensive car collections to try to recoup some of their loss. Unfortunately, the sisters liked to travel with lavish accommodations, so that money is gone forever.
That's all fine and dandy. But....
Personally, as part of her sentence, I think that the government ought to put Ms. Corley in a room with the families of soldiers who were injured or killed in the war.
Maybe a better armored-vehicle could have saved the limb or the life of one of our guys if she didn't have her eye on Rolls Royces and Ferraris.
Asshat.
17 comments:
I couldn't agree more with your suggested sentence for this woman.
It's not reassuring that it took so long for anyone to catch on. No wonder our national debt is so high. (I think the government accountants must be, too.)
i feel ill. i whole heartedly agree that the money would have been better spent on helping the soldiers instead of possibly hindering.
Amazing they got away with it for so long! They deserve to be in prison having to cook and serve the food, wash all the clothes, scrub the floors etc etc FOREVER...
I'm so stunned. I was just talking with a friend last week about money laundering and we couldn't figure out how to do it. (Not that we have any plans to.)
The billings! Shipping costs!
The case you're talking about is particularly awful - because of that link with the military.
Those bitches deserve a serious ass-whipping. I think they should be publicly caned. No doubt they'll be on permanent rounds of kitchen-cleaning in the klink.
I think they should have to deliver parts to Iraq themselves in unarmoured cars as part of their punishment--for free.
And I think the idiots responsible for not checking out every one of those invoices should be sitting right there beside her! Holy Shit, no wonder we can never get ahead in this country!
Asshat isn't deep enough for that one... and the government needs a asshat as well for letting things like that go by - sad, very sad!
WOW, this one is pretty bad. How very, very sad. It actually makes me sick that it went on and on.
Hope you are doing OK, I know it is a busy time.
I could NOT believe when I heard about this story!
Can you even imagine being so heartless! UGH!
How the hell did they get away with it for so long?!
Hi Attila,
Congratulations for bringing back your “Asshat of the Week” ceremony. I agree with you that Charlene Corley and her company C&D Distributors of South Carolina are deserved of your infamous award. Their bilking the Pentagon out of millions of dollars is egregious but what I find even more troublesome is how many others are scamming the Government that haven’t been detected. It’s any wonder the military is understaffed and trying to wage a war without the proper machinery and weapons.
Maybe as part of her sentence, Ms. Corley should be sent to Afghanistan or Iraq for an 18-month tour of duty so she can witness firsthand exactly where the money she stole could have been put to good use.
i really wish the gov't put you in charge of "the punishment that fits the crime department" (the PTFTC Department for short)
By the way, I left you a little gift, under coffeespaz, at my blog. Hugs.
She should spend her days in Fallugah or some place like that...
Amazing that they got away with it for so long! :(
I just had breakfast and it *may not stay down* after this story....
Post a Comment