Received Overpayment of $159,712
GREENBELT, Md. (December 16, 2011)—Carl W. Marquis, age 48, of Burke, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to concealing the fact that he was continuing to receive full pay and allowances from the United States Navy after he had finished a three month active duty assignment at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Robert Craig of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge John Wagner of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Washington Field Office.
According to Marquis’ plea agreement, he is a civil servant at the Federal Aviation Administration, and until June 2011, was a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. From June through August 2009, Marquis was on leave from his job at the FAA to serve a three month active duty tour at Naval Air Systems Command at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. When Marquis finished his tour of duty, he failed to out-process and remained on the Navy’s pay system in active duty status and continued to receive full active duty pay and allowances, with a net pay of more than $8,000 each month, as well as his pay from FAA. Marquis failed to notify anyone with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, the Naval Air Systems Command or his reserve unit to correct the overpayment. When Marquis returned to his reserve unit for monthly drills, he was asked repeatedly by his unit administrator why he was failing to appear on the reserve rolls and was directed to take steps to resolve the error. Not only did Marquis fail to follow-up as directed, he never mentioned that he continued to receive active duty pay.
On August 26, 2010, his unit administrator uncovered the fact that Marquis had never out-processed from his active duty tour and directed Marquis, via email, to return to the Naval Air Systems Command to out-process correctly. Marquis responded to the email indicating that he would do so, but did not comply until November 18, 2010, more than 15 months after his tour had ended.
As of June 2011, Marquis had spent all but $25,000 of the $159,712 that he was overpaid by the Navy.
Marquis faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow, has scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2012 at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended DCIS for its work in the investigation and thanked the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General for its assistance. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam K. Ake, who is prosecuting the case.
Source: Office of United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein