Army major pleads guilty in $5.8M bribery deal

WASHINGTON—An Army major pleaded guilty to bribery charges Wednesday and admitted he had a $5.8 million deal to steer military contracts for bottled water and other supplies to favored companies.

The guilty plea by Maj. James Momon Jr. is the latest development in one of the Justice Department's largest military contracting fraud investigations.

Momon, of Virginia, served as a contracting officer at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait in 2005 and 2006. He succeeded Maj. John C. Cockerham, who pleaded guilty in January to money laundering as part of a $9 million bribery scheme involving bottled water contracts.

Cockerham, of Texas, has been cooperating with investigators since pleading guilty in a San Antonio federal court. As part of his plea deal, Momon agreed to do the same.

Momon admitted Wednesday that he accepted $1.6 million in bribes and had a deal to accept a total of $5.8 million. He pleaded guilty to two counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy. Bribery carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, conspiracy up to five years.

"Today's guilty plea should be a very clear message to all who seek to defraud the Army that we will catch you and we will bring you to justice," Brig. Gen. Rodney Johnson of the Army's Criminal Investigation Command said in a statement. "When an individual or a company participates in this type of illegal activity, it's only a matter of time before our special agents track you down."