Cargo is unloaded from a U.S. Air Force KC-135T Stratotanker aircraft assigned to the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, at Volk Field, Wis., July 12, 2008, during exercise Patriot 2008. (U.S. Air Force photo/Todd Pendleton)
A former top Air National Guard officer at the 171st Air Refueling Wing at Pittsburgh International Airport was sentenced today to probation for creating a no-show military job at the base for a civilian and agreeing to a scheme in which the civilian scheduled him for work days for which he never showed up.
U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond imposed three years of probation on Gerard Mangis, 61, of Shaler, saying the fraud should not outweigh an otherwise exemplary life.
In addition to the probation, Mangis will be on home confinement for a year and must perform 100 hours of community service.
Assistant U.S. attorney Gregory Melucci argued for prison, saying Mangis was a public figure who violated the trust imbued in a military officer.
But Mangis's lawyer, Charles Porter, said his client is a "good man who did wrong" and should not go to jail. He presented nearly 100 letters from Mangis supporters, four of whom also spoke on his behalf before a courtroom packed with about 50 of Mangis's friends and family.
One of them, William Lynch, former head of the 171st, said Mangis had worked for decades to help the air base and its members, adhering to the military ethos that a commander always takes care of his people.
"To Gerry, everybody at the base was 'his people,'" he said. "Our society would gain nothing by incarcerating Gerry."
Mangis' co-conspirator, Robert St. Clair, a former civilian analyst at the Air National Guard headquarters at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, cooperated with the government and also received probation when he was sentenced in September by U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
Prosecutors said the two men met in 1999 and decided to help each other by ripping off the government in a favor-trading scheme.
After a 2002 bankruptcy threatened the security clearance on which St. Clair's job depended, Mangis created a no-show job for him as a technical sergeant at the 171st. In exchange, St. Clair used his position at headquarters to approve Mangis for extra workdays that boosted his pay and retirement benefits.
Prosecutors said Mangis did no extra work to earn that pay and St. Clair did no work at the 171st.
In addition, Mr. Melucci said Mangis forced his subordinates to perform "Mangis missions," or personal errands for him on military time, such as buying groceries for him or having the oil changed in his car.
After the sentence was handed down, Mangis hugged Mr. Porter and began crying. Outside in the hallway, his crowd of supporters erupted in applause for Mr. Porter in a show of appreciation for his efforts to keep their friend out of jail.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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