Army Reserve Capt. Jean Philippe Martial was indicted July 3, 2024, in Utah on federal fraud and theft charges. Prosecutors say he stole over $143,000 through a property rental scheme while providing support during the coronavirus pandemic. (LinkedIn)
A Utah-based Army Reserve officer is facing federal charges that he stole over $143,000 over more than two years through a property rental scheme while providing support during the coronavirus pandemic.
Capt. Jean Philippe Martial, 48, is charged with one count each of filing a fraudulent claim against the U.S. and theft of government property. His initial court appearance is scheduled for July 31 in Salt Lake City, court documents state.
His indictment July 3 came nearly a month after Army Reserve Col. Reece Roberts pleaded guilty to stealing more than $62,000 in a similar scheme ending in July 2021, court records in his case state. The 53-year-old will be sentenced Aug. 29.
Both Martial and Roberts were attached at the time to a 76th Operational Response Command task force activated at Fort Douglas in March 2020 to support state and local officials, first responders and federal agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unit website said.
Court filings in Martial’s case provide scant detail, but a Justice Department statement Tuesday said the crimes he is accused of were virtually identical to those committed by Roberts.
Prosecutors said Martial lied about the location of his residence, fabricated a lease agreement, falsified rent payments and submitted over a dozen false vouchers to receive erroneous pay entitlements between June 2019 and September 2021.
He is also accused of fraudulently claiming family separation pay, reimbursement for lodging expenses and other entitlements not available to service members living locally.
Martial is a resident of Midvale, the Justice Department said, a Salt Lake City suburb about 15 miles from Fort Douglas.
Army Reserve Col. Reece Roberts listens to a commander at Camp Williams, Utah, in 2021. Roberts pleaded guilty to stealing more than $62,000 in a housing fraud scheme. His sentencing is scheduled for August. (Brent C. Powell/U.S. Army Reserve)
Roberts, an Iraq war veteran who was called to active duty in response to the pandemic, admitted to changing his primary address to one outside Utah at which neither he nor his family lived, according to the court records in his case.
At the time, he resided in Herriman, a town about 40 minutes from his duty station. The general engineer then used his fake out-of-state address to receive family separation pay and reimbursements for housing, meals and incidentals, the records said.
He claimed $3,700 each month for rent through a fake lease agreement, which he or an unidentified accomplice sent to a third party through Venmo.
On June 11, Roberts pleaded guilty to making a fraudulent claim against the U.S., conspiracy to defraud the U.S., theft of government property and conspiracy to commit money laundering, court records said.
If Martial is convicted, he faces forfeiture of money and property derived from the proceeds, according to the Justice Department.
The Army Reserve also will review the case to determine whether he should face disciplinary measures under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
