SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Notorious Firm Blackwater to Pay $7.5 Million Fine While Dodging Prosecution
Aug 08, 2012
The notorious private military contracting firm formerly known as Blackwater has agreed to pay a fine of $7.5 million that allows it to avoid prosecution for 17 charges including arms smuggling, marking the end of a five-year federal criminal investigation, according to documents released Tuesday in a U.S. District Court in North Carolina.
"For an extended period of time, Academi/Blackwater operated in a manner which demonstrated systemic disregard for U.S. government laws and regulations," said Chris Briese, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the FBI.
McClatchyreports that "the plea agreement details numerous times where Blackwater played fast and loose with the rules governing the export of military goods and ideas."
According to a statement, the investigation found "an array of criminal allegations including export and International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) allegations involving the manufacture and shipment of short-barreled rifles, fully automatic weapons, armored helicopters, armored personnel carriers, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) allegations in both Iraq and Sudan, unlicensed training of foreign nationals and firearms violations."
The Deferred Prosecution Agreement in the deal allows the company to avoid prosecution, only admitting to the actions listed while submitting to a period of supervision during which time "the government acknowledges the company's efforts to reform its conduct and to mitigate the damage caused by that conduct."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The notorious private military contracting firm formerly known as Blackwater has agreed to pay a fine of $7.5 million that allows it to avoid prosecution for 17 charges including arms smuggling, marking the end of a five-year federal criminal investigation, according to documents released Tuesday in a U.S. District Court in North Carolina.
"For an extended period of time, Academi/Blackwater operated in a manner which demonstrated systemic disregard for U.S. government laws and regulations," said Chris Briese, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the FBI.
McClatchyreports that "the plea agreement details numerous times where Blackwater played fast and loose with the rules governing the export of military goods and ideas."
According to a statement, the investigation found "an array of criminal allegations including export and International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) allegations involving the manufacture and shipment of short-barreled rifles, fully automatic weapons, armored helicopters, armored personnel carriers, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) allegations in both Iraq and Sudan, unlicensed training of foreign nationals and firearms violations."
The Deferred Prosecution Agreement in the deal allows the company to avoid prosecution, only admitting to the actions listed while submitting to a period of supervision during which time "the government acknowledges the company's efforts to reform its conduct and to mitigate the damage caused by that conduct."
The notorious private military contracting firm formerly known as Blackwater has agreed to pay a fine of $7.5 million that allows it to avoid prosecution for 17 charges including arms smuggling, marking the end of a five-year federal criminal investigation, according to documents released Tuesday in a U.S. District Court in North Carolina.
"For an extended period of time, Academi/Blackwater operated in a manner which demonstrated systemic disregard for U.S. government laws and regulations," said Chris Briese, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the FBI.
McClatchyreports that "the plea agreement details numerous times where Blackwater played fast and loose with the rules governing the export of military goods and ideas."
According to a statement, the investigation found "an array of criminal allegations including export and International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) allegations involving the manufacture and shipment of short-barreled rifles, fully automatic weapons, armored helicopters, armored personnel carriers, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) allegations in both Iraq and Sudan, unlicensed training of foreign nationals and firearms violations."
The Deferred Prosecution Agreement in the deal allows the company to avoid prosecution, only admitting to the actions listed while submitting to a period of supervision during which time "the government acknowledges the company's efforts to reform its conduct and to mitigate the damage caused by that conduct."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.