Army sergeant admits taking Afghan bribes

An Army sergeant stationed in Afghanistan admitted to accepting bribes from local vendors on Thursday.

Ramiro Pena Jr., 43, of Fort Campbell, Ky., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to one count of committing bribery. He will be sentenced Oct. 15.

From January 2008 through September 2009, as a sergeant first class at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, Pena was responsible for contracting with local vendors to buy humanitarian relief supplies. He and his supervisor, Jimmy Dennis, a master sergeant, entered into almost $31 million worth of contracts for the Army.

In exchange for rigging contracts, Pena received a Rolex watch and $100,000 cash, according to the Justice Department.

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