Former Georgia soldier Jasen Minter caught stealing millions from U.S.

Two former U.S. Army soldiers have been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for stealing more than $2.7 million from the federal govement while stationed in Saudi Arabia. 

Only Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne was at the courthouse when both soliders were sentenced Friday in Coweta County.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Jasen Minter of Fayetteville, Georgia, and Louis Nock of Orlando, Florida, served as finance officers in Saudi Arabia from 2006-2007.

Both men had access to a U.S. Govement bank held at a Saudi American Bank.

The Department of Justice says the duo stole $2.7 million in 2006 through withdrawls in June and August, and sent the money home.

"Best we know from the evidence is they just shipped it back in boxes. It was all cash," Acting US Attoey John Ho told Winne.

An audit by the Department of Defense eventually discovered the theft by Minter and Nock.

"This was an egregious abuse of trust by two former U.S. Army soldiers who had access to millions of dollars of govement money," Ho said. "Their conduct betrayed their trust and honor as servicemembers and took substantial funds away from the United States Military Training Mission in Saudi Arabia."

"We were able to recover $600,000 by forfeiting some of the property that they purchased with stolen money. We forfeited boats, vehicles and a house," Ho said.

Defense attoey Ben Alper defended Minter.

"He was a model soldier until this conduct occurred," Minter told Winne.

FBI Special Agent J. Britt Johnson says the FBI will continue to work with its military components in ensuring that U.S. funds designated for military use are used as intended.

As part of their sentencing, both Minter and Nock were ordered to pay back the funds they stole.