Fort Lewis civilian employee pleads guilty

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - A Fort Lewis civilian employee pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Thursday to accepting an illegal gratuity.

Paul John Shorb, of Olympia, faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced by federal Judge Franklin D. Burgess.

According to the plea agreement, the 51-year-old Shorb accepted a 4-year-old truck that was valued at more than $4,600 from a contractor as a gift during contract negotiations.

The plea agreement says Shorb asked the contractor to provide a bill of sale falsely claiming that Shorb had paid $700 for the truck to assist him in licensing the truck.

Shorb has worked as a civilian employee at Fort Lewis for the last 23 years.

The case was investigated by the General Services Administration, Office of the Inspector General and the Army Criminal Investigative Division, Major Procurement Fraud Unit.