Ethics Corner

This series on ethics presents cautionary examples drawn from the DoD Standards of Conduct Office Encyclopedia of Ethical Failures.

If you have questions about ethics or are unsure about a certain course of conduct, contact the NASCC Staff Judge Advocate’s office by calling (361) 961-3535.

Today’s story is about the perils of love:

Six service members stationed in the United States were arrested and charged with defrauding the government for their part in a scheme to marry Russian women in exchange for drawing military benefits. The brother of one of the service-members set up the introduction to the Russian women while living in New York. The service members then filed false basic allowance for housing (BAH) and family separation allowance (FSA) claims for their absent wives that defrauded the government of over $234,000.

The investigation revealed most of the men never actually lived with their so-called wives. The service members were court-martialed, reduced in rank, and ordered to pay restitution equaling the amount of money each received fraudulently.

The women, who obtained visas enabling them to stay in the United States as a result of the false marriages, were deported.