A civil lawsuit has been filed against a former U.S. Army officer and three contracting firms related to an alleged bribery scheme in connection with the awarding of contracts for services in Kuwait.
Former Army officer John Cockerham Jr., who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges along with another former officer, James Momon Jr.
The government's complaint alleges that - from 2004 to 2006 - several Kuwaiti companies engaged in a bribery scheme with Cockerham and Momon in exchange for their promises to award Blanket Purchase Agreements.
At the center of the contracts were bottled water, tents and wastewater removal services from Kuwaiti-based Army camps.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleges that defendant Saud Al Tawash provided payments to Cockerham's sister, Carolyn Blake, in exchange for bid preference.
The complaint charges that after Momon replaced Cockerham as the Army's contracting officer, he took over the bribery scheme and received $510,000 from Green Valley.
The manager of Jireh Springs promised Cockerham $1.5 million to award a preference to that firm.
The government is seeking treble damages under the False Claims Act, and a number of other remedies.

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