OKLAHOMA CITY - Earlier this week, ALFRED PALMA, 64, of Duncan, pleaded guilty to bribery charges, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On May 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a twelve-count indictment against Palma and co-defendant Candy Hanza. Palma was charged in Count 2 with accepting a bribe as a public official.
According to public record, Palma, a United States Army employee and public official, was the manager of the Institutional Training Directed Lodging and Meals (“ITDLM") program at Fort Sill, through which he booked hotel rooms for soldiers who attended on-post trainings. According to the Indictment, Hanza, then the general manager of a local hotel in Lawton, paid Palma to direct soldiers to the hotel.
At a hearing before United States District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick on Monday, Palma admitted that he received cash and checks totaling $103,200.00 from Hanza in return for favoring the hotel at which Hanza was a general manager when Palma booked soldiers for off-post trainings. Palma further admitted that he used the cash to purchase money orders from Walmart in $1,000.00 increments, which he then deposited, along with the checks that Hanza gave him, into his personal checking account.
At sentencing, Palma faces up to fifteen years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000.00 or three times the monetary value of the bribes, and up to three years of supervised release.
Hanza has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. The public is reminded that charges against Hanza are merely allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Department of Defense Contract Audit Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys