Former US Army Range Director Pleads Guilty of Conspiracy

Victor Garo, 67, of Mililani, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to one count of conspiracy to accept over $100,000 in bribes and one count of illegally transporting firearms across state lines, according to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office District of Hawai‘i.

Garo confessed that he helped steer federal contracts worth more than $18 million to a contractor, the release continued. His sentencing is scheduled for March 2020 before Chief US District Judge J. Michael Seabright.

US Attorney Kenji Price stated that according to court documents and information presented in court, Garo, while employed as the range director at Schofield Barracks in Hawai‘i from 2011 to 2018, accepted over $100,000 worth of bribes from an employee of a federal contractor that sought and received business from the US Army.

The bribes included cash, automobiles and firearms. In return, Garo used his position to benefit the contractor in securing US Army contracts. Garo is the third public official to plead guilty as a result of an ongoing investigation into fraud and bribery at Schofield Barracks.

The case was investigated by Army CID, DCIS, FBI and the Defense Contract Audit Agency. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Laura Connelly and Assistant Chief Justin Weitz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant US Attorney Marc Wallenstein for the District of Hawai‘i.