Looting derails Pvt. Earl B. Coffey's career

Looting derails a soldier's career

Published Friday, May 16, 2008 at 12:20 p.m.

When Pvt. Earl B. Coffey rumbled into Baghdad five years ago following a combat-splattered desert run out of Basra, he never imagined his career would drown in a flood of American dollars.


But in the heart of Iraq, Coffey confronted a temptation that would lead to a court martial and the end of his career as a trained killer who could take out targets from distances so great they never heard the fatal shot.

The U.S. Army contends tales of soldiers attempting to capitalize on war plunder are rare. But Coffey and several colleagues argue that looting by American invasion forces was more widespread than anyone knows.

Struggling with indigence and flashbacks today in Sarasota, Coffey says he's going public because he needs psychological help and has nothing left to lose.
go here for more
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080516/NEWS/225325559/1661