US Iraq Embassy worker convicted after deceiving procurement staff

A US embassy worker in Iraq has been convicted for stealing nearly a quarter of a million dollars by fooling procurement staff.

The US Department of Justice last week found Osama Esam Saleem Ayesh guilty on two counts of theft of public money and one count of engaging in acts affecting a personal financial interest.

Ayesh faces a maximum penalty of ten years for each theft count and five years in prison for the conflict of interests charge when he is due to be sentenced on 8 April this year.

The stolen money was intended for the payment of shipping and customs services, however using his state department computer, Ayesh created a false email account in the name of an existing Iraqi contractor to communicate with embassy buyers.

From November 2008 to June 2010, Ayesh submitted false invoices and set up a bank account in his wife’s name that resulted in the US government transferring $238, 162 to the account in Jordan.

Ayesh was employed by the US embassy in Baghdad as a shipping and customs supervisor overseeing the shipment of embassy workers’ personal property.

He was personally involved in establishing and operating purchase agreements for customs and clearance and delivery services to the embassy in Baghdad.

The case followed a number of similar cases of fraud that have resulted in sentences in the past month.

Read more here.