‘He’s a con man’: U.S. staff sergeant accused of Afghanistan massacre ‘defrauded pensioner out of life savings’ and was $1million in debt
The U.S. soldier accused of gunning down 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children, was more than $1million in debt and had defrauded a pensioner out of his life savings, it has been claimed.
Federal documents show how Staff Sgt Robert Bales scammed pensioner Gary Liebschner of Carroll, Ohio, of more than $800,000 in a stock scam just before he enlisted in the army.
Financial regulators found in 2003 how Bales ‘engaged in fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, churning, unauthorised trading and unsuitable investments’.
He said: ‘He robbed me of my life savings. We didn’t know where he was. We heard the Bahamas, and all kinds of places.’ When asked if he was a conman, he said: ‘You’ve hit the nail on the head.’
The revelation comes as Bales’ wife said she was as confused as anyone else about the crimes her husband is accused of.
Karilyn Bales told ABC News her heart went out to all the victims in the massacre, where her husband is accused of going house-to-house firing on civilians at random and attempting to burn some of the bodies. Read more: Dailymail
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