SECOND DEPARTMENT OF ARMY EMPLOYEE CHARGED

BIRMINGHAM, AL - An Indictment charging Douglas Harry Ennis, 48, of Athens, Alabama, was unsealed today in U.S. District Court. Ennis is charged with two counts of making false statements on a financial disclosure form to the Army.

"Lying on a government ethics form is a serious crime, especially when the purpose is to hide bribe monies," stated U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin.

Ennis was employed as the Deputy Director of the Joint Center for Technology Integration (JCTI) located at the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. The USASMDC is the command of the U.S. Army which has responsibility for research, development, and acquisition of systems that may be utilized for defense against ballistic missiles.

The indictment charges that Ennis, as part of his employment at the Department of the Army, was required to submit form OGE-450A Confidential Certification of No New Interests. On the form, he was required to identify any new interests, sources of income, debts, reportable outside positions, and gifts. In count one, Ennis is charged with failing to report that he received $4,900 during the period from October 1, 2001 to September 30, 2002. Count two charges that Ennis failed to report such income, liability and gifts received by him from 2003 through 2004 in the amount of $75,000. The indictment alleges that the income/gifts were paid to Ennis by an officer or representative of certain companies which were sub-contractors and vendors on contracts funded by USASMDC over which Ennis exercised authority as Deputy Director of JCTI.

The penalty for making false statements is five years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, or both.

The investigation of this matter was conducted by Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the cooperation and assistance of USASMDC, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division-Fraud Team, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the Department of Defense. Assistant United States Attorney Herbert H. Henry, III, is prosecuting this matter on behalf of the U.S. Government.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.