SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 9, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A second U.S. Army Reservist from Utah’s 76th Operational Response Command has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for military pay fraud that occurred at Fort Douglas during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to court documents, Captain Jean Philippe Martial, 48, of Midvale, defrauded the United States out of more than $140,000 in unearned military pay entitlements from June 2019 to September 2021, says a statement issued Tuesday by the United State’s Attorney’s Office, District of Utah.
Martial was indicted on July 3.
Last month, Col. Reece Roberts, formerly of Utah’s 76th Operational Response Command, pleaded guilty to filing a fraudulent claim against the United States, conspiring to defraud the United States, and other federal crimes.
Roberts, 53, from Herriman, had been indicted for stealing $62,000 from the Army through a property rental scheme while on orders during the coronavirus pandemic.
Both cases were a result of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ongoing efforts with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service to resolve cases of military pay fraud and corruption that occurred at Fort Douglas during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to court documents, both Martial and Roberts misrepresented their residences to qualify for additional pay entitlements, fabricated lease agreements, falsified rent payments, and submitted over a dozen false vouchers to military officials. Charging documents further allege these misrepresentations allowed the defendants to receive family separation allowances, reimbursement for lodging expenses, and other entitlements that were not available to local servicemembers.
Roberts is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 29 in the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Martial’s initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled on July 31 of this year.
The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating these cases.
Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting these cases.
