Doran blog

Marine captain gets 6-year prison term for Iraq fraud

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A U.S. Marine captain who earlier this year pleaded guilty to skimming nearly $1.7 million from government contracts in Iraq was sentenced to six years in federal prison on Monday.

Eric Schmidt, who is assigned to the First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

His wife, Janet Schmidt, pleaded guilty to a tax offense in connection with the scheme and faces three years in prison when she is sentenced in March.

Prosecutors say Schmidt, 40, who was deployed to Iraq in 2008, used his position to steer business to an Iraqi contractor, Al-Methwad Company.

Once Al-Methwad had been awarded the contracts, prosecutors say, Janet Schmidt used money from Al-Methwad to purchase fewer or inferior goods than those required by the contract and arranged for their delivery to Marines in Iraq.

Prosecutors say the Schmidts caused the U.S. Defense Department to suffer losses of $1.69 million and the Internal Revenue Service to suffer losses of more than $450,000.

During the course of the investigation, government agents seized two California properties, two luxury vehicles and about $40,000 in cash from the couple.

"The Schmidts defrauded U.S. taxpayers, cheated the Iraqi people and betrayed the trust placed in them," said Stuart Bowen, attorney for the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. "They will now pay a price for their criminal wrongdoing."

(Editing by Peter Bohan)

Wyoming fires men's basketball coach

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming fired head basketball coach Heath Schroyer on Monday, two days after the Cowboys lost their seventh consecutive game and 15th of the season.

The Cowboys are 8-15 this season, including 1-8 in the Mountain West Conference.

Schroyer, who took over the UW program in 2007 after previous coach Steve McClain was also fired, compiled a 49-68 record over the three and a half seasons he was coach. His best season was 2008-09 when the team went 19-14 and earned a spot in the College Basketball Invitational tournament, where they lost at home to Northeastern in the first game.

UW athletic director Tom Burman said associate head coach Fred Langley will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season.

A national search for a head coach would begin immediately, Burman said.

"Although I am obviously disappointed in the University's decision to terminate my contract, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as head coach at the University of Wyoming," Schroyer said in a release.

He thanked the players, the university and the university community for their support.

"I love our team, and I believe they have a bright future on and off the court," he said.

The news release said Schroyer would have no further comment.

Burman said he regrets the firing but felt it is in the program's best interest.

"While winning is key to a successful program, we cannot lose sight of the off-the-court progress this program has made under Heath's guidance," Burman said in the release.'

The team has improved its academic standing after having been penalized scholarships for poor academic performance under McClain.

"Coach Schroyer recruited numerous young men who have represented UW with class on and off the court — I for one applaud him for those efforts," Burman said.

The university said Burman would have no further comment until a news conference on Tuesday.

Schroyer's current contract would have expired at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season.Under the terms of that contract, UW will pay him $160,000 per year for the remaining three years.

Rangers, Celtic to clash in Scottish Cup round five

GLASGOW (AFP) – Rangers and Celtic clash in the Scottish Cup fifth round on Sunday with the winners guaranteed to stay on course for a domestic treble.

The Old Firm will meet at Ibrox just a month after the sides last clashed there in the league.

That day Celtic gained revenge for their 3-1 defeat earlier in the season when a double from Georgios Samaras secured a 2-0 win that sent the Hoops top of the Scottish Premier League.

The victory seemed to kick start Celtic's season and Neil Lennon's side have won six out of the seven games since.

Celtic captain Scott Brown says he wants to add to Rangers' woes by dumping their rivals out of the Scottish Cup as well.

"If you look at our team now, you could maybe say we've moved forward because we have a lot more creative players and goalscorers," he said.

"The players who have come in will learn a lot more from these games. Those who have been in Scotland for a long time will know what Rangers are all about now."

The Hoops have been forced to play the last two games with full-backs Charlie Mulgrew and Mark Wilson in the centre of defence after injuries to Glenn Loovens, Daniel Majstorovic and Thomas Rogne.

And with Darren O'Dea, Jos Hooiveld and Josh Thompson out on loan it has left manager Lennon light on options.

However both Rogne and Majstorovic have returned to training and could feature on Sunday but James Forrest and Shaun Maloney will miss out.

Rangers also have their injury worries after influential midfielder Lee McCulloch limped out of their 1-0 win over Hearts on Wednesday while Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic missed the match with a groin strain.

But assistant manager Ally McCoist says he is hopeful of having Jelavic available for the tie.

"Jelavic is a lot better," said McCoist. "It has been natural progress and he is feeling a lot better today, so we will be giving him right up until the match and we are very hopeful he will be involved.

"Lee McCulloch is going for a scan, but I would hazard a guess and say he would be extremely doubtful. It would be a big blow to lose him. He has been a big player for us, but that's the nature of it.

"You need winners in Old Firm games and Lee is one of them, but we have a team full of winners, so we are hopeful it won't be too much of a problem if he doesn't make it.

"Celtic have been on a good run and we have maybe not been firing on all cylinders, but we are confident we can win the game.

"With the personnel we have available, we feel we can get a victory."

Sunday's match could see Old Firm debuts handed to new Rangers signings David Healy, Kyle Bartley and El-Hadji Diouf, who is sure for a hot reception after he was fined at Glasgow Sheriff Court in 2003 after being convicted of spitting at a Celtic fan in a UEFA Cup between the Hoops and his then side Liverpool.

Sunday

Rangers v Celtic, Aberdeen v Dunfermline

In L.A. Schools: Shootings, a Food Fight and Mayor Villaraigosa vs. UTLA

COMMENTARY | To say that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is beleaguered would be an understatement. Interestingly, a lot of its problems are of its own making. What's going on with California's largest public school system?

Meet the LAUSD

The massive California school district commandeers a . Of these funds, $312 million are devoted to food service that offers breakfasts and lunches to LAUSD students. Personal safety of students and staff is ensured by theLos Angeles School Police Department.

Problems at LAUSD's Gardena High School

By all accounts, GardenaHigh School was a problem waiting to happen. With four sex offenses, seven weapons possessions and eight batteries in the , there is a clear indication that all is not well.

Granted, the incidents of weapons possession are down by 10 (when compared to the prior fiscal year) but even so the school " and consistently ranks at the bottom of the state's lowest achieving schools list."

Adding insult to injury, reports now suggest that intermittent security magnetic wand-use did not take place as directed.

Food Fight!

While children are getting shot, LAUSD is engaged in a food fight with , who planned on bringing reality TV cameras and nutritional food choices into L.A. school cafeterias and kitchens. Blaming a school board that refuses him access, Oliver is now seeking to mobilize parents.

Oliver claims that they "don't want me looking at what's going on and showing it to the public." Right, wrong or indifferent, he does bring up a good point: why are cameras not allowed into a state-funded operation?

LAUSD vs. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vs. UTLA

In a surprising change of direction, L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa came down hard on the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) when calling them "."

In what amounts to an exercise in serial and circular finger-pointing, teachers blame the lack of funding, politicians blame the teachers' union, the union blames the bureaucracy and parents blame all of the above.

In fact, parents are increasingly looking for alternatives "while government officials and the teachers unions try to figure out what went wrong."

Union Proclaims Itself Reform Leader

Ask the UTLA, and you get a completely different picture of the situation. The union considers Mayor Villaraigosa to be "" and touts union-led and teacher-instituted reforms. Part and parcel of its success, the union asserts, is a loosening of the "grip of L.A. Unified bureaucracy."

Going full circle, the union blames LAUSD bureaucrats for the problems that plague the unwieldy giant.

In the Final Analysis...

If you have not noticed much in the way of actual solutions, you are not alone. In between glad-handing and backslapping (or back-stabbing), there is precious little forward movement. Need more proof? After the Gardena High School shooting there was a meeting for parents.

One parent is quoted as stating that "she was irritated byon their reaction to the shooting" and that the rest of the meeting was characterized by "vague responses about improving security."

Sylvia Cochran is a Los Angeles area resident with a firm finger on the pulse of California politics. Talk radio junkie, community volunteer and politically independent, she scrutinizes the good and the bad from both sides of the political aisle.

No. 8 UConn tops Tennessee 72-61 for 5th straight

HARTFORD, Conn. – Kemba Walker scored a season-low 16 points but that was enough to help No. 8 Connecticut beat Tennessee 72-61 on Saturday, spoiling coach Bruce Pearl's return to the Volunteers' bench.

Pearl is in the middle of serving an eight-game Southeastern Conference suspension, but was allowed to coach Saturday's non-conference game against the Huskies.

Jeremy Lamb also scored 16 points for UConn (16-2). Alex Oriakhi had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Roscoe Smith added 12 points.

UConn shot 9 of 19 from 3-point range, including 4 of 5 by Smith. The Huskies, who beat No. 7 Villanova on Monday, have won five in a row.

Melvin Goins had 15 points and Scotty Hopson added 13 for Tennessee (12-7).

Connecticut took the lead for good on Smith's 3-pointer that made it 44-41 early in the second half.

But it was just a five-point lead before Shabazz Napier made a spinning move in the lane and found Lamb behind the arc. Oriakhi then stole the ball from Hopson and dunked, putting UConn up 64-54 with under 5 minutes left.

The Huskies hit enough free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

Tennessee did a good job denying Walker the ball early, and led by as many as eight points as Goins hit all four of his shots in the first half.

It was a physical game, but the first foul wasn't called until Walker picked one up going for an offensive rebound almost 9 minutes in.

The UConn junior went just 6 of 17 from the floor, missed his first five shots and took almost 15 minutes to score his first point, a free throw that made in 24-18 Tennessee.

That started a 10-1 run, highlighted when Charles Okwandu hit a layup, then ran to the other end in time to grab a layup attempt by Tennessee's Skyler McBee out of the air.

Walker's long 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer over Cameron Tatum and Tobias Harris gave the Huskies a 32-31 lead.

Tennessee came into the game undefeated against ranked opponents. The Vols beat Big East members Villanova and Pittsburgh this season and also topped Memphis, the last game Pearl coached before starting his suspension.

Pearl has served half of his eight-game ban from Southeastern Conference play for lying to NCAA investigators. The school is still awaiting word from the NCAA on its recommended sanctions for recruiting violations. The Vols are 2-2 in his absence.

UConn is also awaiting final disposition of its own recruiting case. The school has acknowledged violations stemming from the recruitment of former player Nate Miles, but denied an allegation that coach Jim Calhoun failed to foster an atmosphere of compliance.

Oriakhi recorded his seventh double-double and his fourth in his last five games.

Tennessee came in 6-1 against the Big East under Pearl, with his lone loss coming against Louisville in the 2008 NCAA tournament.

Assistant Tony Jones will be back on the bench for Tennessee on Wednesday when the Volunteers host LSU.