FAYETTEVILLE -- Two Fort Bragg soldiers, working along with an Afghan interpreter, embezzled nearly $1.3 million while deployed in 2009, according to court documents filed Thursday.
Edwin Vando and Juan Lamboy Rivera each were charged in a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court. The document, sometimes used in lieu of a grand jury indictment, alleges that the men took $1,297,959.31 in vendor payments owed to Abdul Wasi Faquiri Co. Ltd.
According to court documents, Vando and Rivera were sergeants with the 82nd Finance Battalion who were deployed to Camp Eggers in Kabul at the time, May to June 2009.
It is unclear whether Vando and Rivera are still Fort Bragg soldiers. According to the criminal information, Vando lives in Hope Mills, and Rivera lives in Fayetteville.
While deployed, both worked in the Camp Eggers finance office overseeing payments to commercial vendors, according to court documents. Vando was a commercial vendor service representative, and Rivera served first as the disbursing noncommissioned officer in charge of the finance office and later as a customer service representative in charge of personnel matters.
The third accused conspirator, identified in court documents only as "R.J.," was an Afghan citizen employed as an interpreter for the Camp Eggers Finance Office, according to court documents.
The company from which the three are accused of embezzling is an Afghan company that provides, among other items, military apparel and equipment for the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police.
Vando and Rivera were charged Thursday, but their cases date back to July, when documents pertaining to the case were filed under seal.
The U.S. Attorney's Office also filed a forfeiture notice declaring its intent to seize any property allegedly obtained through the crimes.
