Ex-Schofield range manager guilty of taking bribes

A retired Army sergeant major pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to conspiring to accept contractor bribes and disclosing sensitive Army procurement information while working as a civilian range operations manager at Schofield Barracks, the Justice Department said.

Beginning around March 2015, Franklin Raby provided “sensitive, internal U.S. Department of Defense procurement information” and used his position and influence to benefit REK Associates in exchange for a 1969 Ford Galaxie, travel expenses, a “custom” .375 H&H rifle and $2,300 diamond earrings “meant for the defendant’s wife,” according to prosecutors.

Raby, a onetime U.S. Pacific Command senior enlisted adviser, received items valued at between $40,000 and $95,000 from REK, according to court filings.

In late 2017 he began employment negotiations with the company — while still employed by the Army — for a job in which his full salary depended on steering an eventual $2.2 million vegetation control contract to Cherokee Nation Environmental Solutions, with REK as a subcontractor, the plea agreement states.

Raby, 67, of Greeneville, Tenn., pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Tennessee. He faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 5.

U.S. Army Hawaii said in a statement that it is “committed to upholding the highest ethical standards and fully supports the thorough investigation and prosecution of suspected cases of fraud, waste or abuse.”

“We continue to emphasize to our employees that, as federal employees, they play a critical role in ensuring the legal, ethical and appropriate use of resources entrusted to us,” the Army said.

A person who answered the phone Thursday at REK said, “No comment, sir,” and hung up. Cherokee Nation Environmental Services could not be immediately reached for comment.

According to the plea agreement, Raby entered the Department of Defense civil service in May 2006 after retiring as a sergeant major in 2004.

He became the Schofield range operations manager and also was a contract officer representative — a role in which he provided technical direction and guidance to contractors.

In 2015 Raby and REK, which was awarded more than $17 million in contracts over a several-year period to assist in maintaining U.S. military properties, “entered into a relationship” in which Raby “intentionally used his position and influence with the U.S. Department of Defense, as opportunities arose,” to benefit REK, court filings state.

In 2017 REK was awarded a contract for dust control under which Raby was the “agreements officer.” Raby “improperly” used the contract to provide money to REK to repair a rock quarry at Schofield — even though quarry work was not part of the dust control contract.

In March 2018 Raby tried to steer another Schofield contract to REK, the plea agreement said, but the Army determined it wanted to use an “8(a)” tribal- owned, disadvantaged small business.

REK’s “senior construction manager” told Raby he should suggest Cherokee Nation Environmental Solutions — to which REK would serve as subcontractor, according to the plea.

On April 4, 2018, Raby emailed to REK the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii fiscal 2019 $7.7 million work plan for 13 projects — considered confidential information.

In September the Army awarded a $2.2 million contract for vegetation control on Hawaii Army ranges to Cherokee Nation Environmental.

Raby retired from Defense Department civil service in May 2018. His LinkedIn page shows him as a project manager with REK Associates.