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By Austin Wright
NORFOLK
A former Norfolk-based Navy sailor was sentenced Friday in federal court to two years in prison for using a military credit card to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the government, a crime that defense and prosecution lawyers agreed could have been prevented through minimal oversight.
U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Friedman sentenced Yokeia M. Gibbs to the lower end of the 24- to 30-month recommended sentencing guideline. He also said that likely others in the Navy were responsible for creating a working environment conducive to systematic fraud.
The federal prosecutor, Kevin Comstock, said in court that Gibbs' cooperation with authorities could lead to other arrests, but he declined to comment after the sentencing on whether other Navy personnel are being investigated.
Gibbs told the court she loved working for the Navy and is sad her career with the service is over. Court papers didn't give her rank. She received an honorable discharge, her attorney said.
"I know that I'm a good person. I know that I made a bad decision," Gibbs said in court. "I'm aware of all my consequences."
In 2004, the Navy authorized Gibbs to carry a government purchase card so she could buy supplies on behalf of her command, according to a plea agreement she signed in April.
From 2006 to 2007, she used the card to buy 162 notebook computers, 65 big-screen televisions and 22 digital cameras, items she and an unnamed co-conspirator sold for cash, with Gibbs getting most of the money. In all, she defrauded the government out of $363,243, concluded the Naval Audit Service.
It was Navy auditors who originally discovered the thefts, the plea agreement says.
"Her supervisors encouraged this type of behavior," defense attorney David Price said in court. He elaborated after the sentencing that no one monitored what Gibbs and others were purchasing with the government-issued cards.
"For this to go on for as long as it did and for the amount of money that was involved - there's no excuse," Price said. "There are other people who didn't do their jobs right."
Friedman ordered Gibbs to pay full restitution, and he recommended that she serve her jail time near Columbia, S.C., where she now lives with her husband.
Austin Wright, (757) 446-2667, austin.wright@pilotonline.com
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Just to clarify
Understandably, some of you don't understand the system. It is obvious that this young lady was discharged prior to going to trial, otherwise she would have gone to a court-martial and then separated with a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge. Additionaly, there is a good chance if she went to court-martial, she may have gotten and even lighter sentence. Trust me on this, a lot of times the civil courts are much tougher than the military courts. We also don't know if she signed a plea agreement. On a side note, someone mentioned that people who are overweight or failed their PRT/PFA's receive worse discharges than this young lady. This is not true, they will ALWAYS recieve an honorable UNLESS there was misconduct during their service. Last I knew being overweight does not qualify as misconduct. I only know all of this because I used to process administrative separations. Let's get our facts straight before making comments that aren't true.
crazy!!!!!
Thats crazy how is that honorable????? There is nothing honorable about stealing, and if she so called loved being in the navy, then why did she steal, she knew what she was doing, shes only sorry because she got caught, had she not been caught she probably would have kept doing it. Im sorry in my opinion she should have gotten a dishonorable discharge, she is old enough to know right from wrong and that defintely was wrong,
Two years for stealing from
Two years for stealing from the navy! Yes, supervisor should have had a better idea of what she was doing with the card, there is a monthly audit of what is bought by each department monthly, had to justified somehow.
Not all on her, because there are Officers and Chiefs that get away with thousands of dollars in unathorized purchases every year.
This all goes with the militaries in ability to recruit better personnel(40% great-60% borderline and below) and lower their standards. Proven by the lowing of the ASVAB to 70% from 75%, allowing more people with felony charges on their record in and the increase in persons with a GED vis HS Grads.
Guess this is part of the well experienced ADMIRALS and MCPON to diverify the military more. Keep going the militaries great new code of conduct (Honor, Courage and Commitment) is working. Keep coddling these new recruits and this will become even a bigger p
Gimme a break!
"I know I'm a good person"? "Her supervisors encouraged this type of behavior" (by not monitoring her)? What a bunch of ethical double talk! She should have got the max.
I Disagree..
If she committed the fraud while "wearing the uniform", The Honorable Discharge should be taken away from her in a some form of adjudication. She did not "Serve" "honorably"! Just my .02 worth!
Wow
Sailors in the navy get a worse discharge for being overweight or failing PRTs or PFAs as they are now called.
Timeline
Well it seems to me that she was discharged before the court case. That explains the honorable discharge. After her discharge and an accounting of her credit card was done, that's when the fraud was found. That's why she was in Federal court instead of Courts Martial.
Of course she'll have another case coming up soon. The IRS is going to want taxes paid on her ill gotten gains. She'll probably see some more jail time for that.
And this folks is why...
And this, folks, is why I HAD to get out of the canoe club. I could no longer deal with this kind of tripe. Oversight and "discipline" of juniors is heavily discourged. On top of that, because there is NO discipline, middle management gets in trouble for invoking discipline (little suzy cries about being harassed) and/or suffers for lack of leadership when this stuff happens. Honorable discharge and 2 years my behind.
NOTHING NEW
I see government vehicles being used to go to and from work all the time. Gas and maintenance paid for by you and me. Do as I did and call the IG waste fraud and abuse hotline...
What the heck is wrong with this picture?
If what her attorney says is true. Then justice has not been served. There nothing worst in the military than a liar and a thief. An Honorable discharge allows this criminal to received veterans benefits. What did she do drop a few alligator tears and all of a sudden the court went awl, she a girl, were sorry here have a cookie too. Navy Leadership less has failed again.