N.C. Man Charged In Iraqi Kickback Scheme Has Criminal Past

http://www.wbt.com/news/detail_wbt.cfm?article_id=24559

N.C. Man Charged In Iraqi Kickback Scheme Has Criminal Past

- snip -

His past raises questions of why U.S. authorities in Iraq put him in charge of $82 million in reconstruction money after the invasion in 2003.

As of Friday, the Department of Defense was not able to say how Stein was hired in Iraq, or whether he had undergone a background check.

Not long before Iraq's Coalition Provisional Authority gave Stein control of the money, he was involved in a similar scheme on a building project at Pope Air Force Base, The Fayetteville Observer reported.

- snip -

Stein is being held by federal authorities, though it was unclear where.

A note taped to the door of Stein's Fayetteville home said ``No press please!'' A sport utility vehicle with a military-decorated license plate sat parked in the driveway with a business card from an agent of the Department of Homeland Security tucked under a windshield wiper.

MORE