Two Former Colonels Sentenced in Military Contract Case

A federal judge sentenced two former Air Force colonels to prison on Tuesday for destroying documents, lying to a grand jury and other crimes related to a wider fraud scheme by contractors and defense lobbyists with ties to a powerful Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown.

The men, both engineers and graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy, are among those accused by federal prosecutors who are looking into alleged wrongdoing by contractors with ties to Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Murtha has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing.

Read more: (Melissa Nelson, “2 Former Colonels Sentenced: Military Contract Case had Ties to Murtha,” Associated Press, 10/13/09)