Procurement cards are a form of debit cards issued by the U.S. government to service members to buy goods and services related to military duties. When procurement cards are used for goods and services that aren’t related to military expenditures, the government may charge service members with procurement card fraud.

If military law enforcement believes that you’ve made illegal purchases with the card, your records will be subject to an audit. And if that audit of your card yields evidences against you, you could be facing criminal charges of fraud:

• Procurement card fraud is a criminal offense. Your military career is not the only thing at risk. Jail time is a distinct possibility.

• The US Government could force you to repay every penny of the misappropriated funds. This can leave some service members drowning in debt for years.
• Should the court-martial go against you, the military may take away your benefits, rank, and freedom. The military will brand you a criminal, and you could be dishonorably discharged.

I’ve Been Accused of Procurement Card Fraud. Now What?

Assume nothing about the evidence in your case. Talk to no one about the purchases on your card. Hire the best possible defense attorney to defend you against the allegations.

The government will almost certainly attempt to bring criminal charges against you. The military, in trying to curb fraudulent activity, has been cracking down on members of the Armed Forces that abuse their P-Cards. Those that are caught are aggressively pursued and often hauled in to a court martial.

A proper defense is imperative. Hiring an experienced court martial defense attorney as soon as possible is critical because it allows them to perform an independent forensic review of the electronic paper trail. Waiting too long allows the government more time to build their case against you, which can be devastating to your chances of securing a not-guilty verdict. 

Never gamble away your freedoms on an inexperienced defense attorney. Hiring an experienced defense attorney will greatly increase your odds of the best possible outcome in your fight against procurement card fraud.

Defending Service Members Against Procurement Card Fraud

You need a defense lawyer that understands fraud cases and has been successfully defending military service members for years. Our defense strategy often relies on a few essential elements:

• We’ll look into how the government flagged your account.  Has all the evidence been obtained legally? Was anything illegal about how they proceeded with their audit and investigation?
• Procurement card purchases aren’t always clear cut. You may have purchased items with the full intent of using them in the service of the US Government and your military duties. Our own forensic investigation into the electronic records may uncover enough evidence to exonerate you or mitigate matters.
• Is the amount of fraudulent purchases large enough to justify a general court-martial? We may able to convince the government to drop charges outright or instead proceed with administrative action.

There are many ways we can defend you. But it’s ultimately your decision whether you want to defend yourself. Hiring Liebenguth Law sends the government a strong message that you will not go down without a fight.

How Does the Government Spot Procurement Card Fraud?

Procurement card expenditures can be flagged by auditors for a variety of reasons. Increased spending activity can flag a card. Or the purchase of items at a specific store or location can raise a red flag. A random audit by the federal government may have caught inconsistencies with a service member’s card. Any of these could be potential reasons for a procurement card fraud investigation.

How Am I Supposed to Know What I Can and Cannot Buy on a Government P-Card?

Government P-Cards, according to the Purchase Card Program, is for “official US Government Purchases Only.” The following situations are just some of the items listed off by the USDA Purchase Card Program:

• Purchase accountable/sensitive and pilferable property. Cardholders must promptly initiate action to place these items on the property inventory in accordance with USDA and agency procedures.
• Rental of meeting and conference rooms and storage and other special purpose space to be used on a temporary or short-term basis (up to 180 days), or emergency basis.
• Pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3324, payments for subscriptions may be made in advance or receipt of the items provided through the subscription.
• For warranted contracting personnel, orders within their delegated authority under Indefinite Delivery/ Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contracts.

Court Martial Defense For Larceny & Financial Fraud

• Larceny and Financial Fraud
• BAH – OHA – DTS Fraud
• Procurement Card Fraud