European edition, Saturday, June 9, 2007
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A Kaiserslautern-based soldier was sentenced to six months in prison and a bad-conduct discharge after admitting to writing more than 100 bad checks and using cocaine.
Pvt. Robert Schmidt, a member of the 1st Cargo Transfer Company, 191st Ordnance Battalion, 29th Support Group, pleaded guilty to the charges Friday at a court-martial at Kleber Kaserne.
In addition to writing bad checks and the drug charge, Schmidt also was convicted on charges of larceny and driving a U.S. Army in Europe-plated vehicle without a license, said Maj. Peter Kageleiry, chief of military justice for the 21st Theater Support Command.
The offenses allegedly occurred between December 2005 and October 2006. Most of the bad checks were written to purchase items at Army and Air Force Exchange Service facilities, he said.
In some cases, he bought merchandise and received cash back, Kageleiry said. Schmidt also bought some items from the exchange with the bad checks and then took back the merchandise in exchange for a refund.
Schmidt had collected about $14,000 by writing the bad checks at military exchange stores.
