About 24 current and former members of the Arizona Air National Guard have been charged with theft (18 USC Section 641) and money laundering (18 USC Section 1956)   in a $1.4 million scam to defraud the federal government. The eight officers and 13 enlisted men and women falsified their records and used fake home addresses to receive money meant for those traveling outside of their home regions for duty

Between a three year span from 2007-2010, some defendants were said to have taken home salaries that were up to five times their normal pay. The indictment comes after an 18-month investigation by state and federal agencies.

Eight of those charged are still members of the National Guard. The suspects have not been arrested but instead were sent summons to appear in court for arraignment. The suspects were part of an elite military unit tasked with remotely flying drones over Iraq and Afghanistan.

The defendants could be sentenced to more than 12 years in prison, with the commander of the Guard facing an even more serious sentence for using his position of power to help with the scam.

This is again another example of greed by those in a position of trust in the military.  Our federal budget is in bad enough shape as it is.  We can't afford to have our coffers further depleted by those taken with greed.  It is one thing to steal due to financial desperation or even as a result of something like an addiction to drugs or alcohol, but there is seemingly little justification for the scam in this case

For more information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/21/military-criminal-charges_n_4138689.html