Marine captain who arranged fraudulent transactions to be sentenced

RIVERSIDE - A Marine captain who arranged fraudulent transactions while supervising federal contracts set up to benefit postwar Iraq -- costing the U.S. government nearly $1.7 million -- is expected to be sentenced Monday in Riverside to nearly six years in prison.

Capt. Eric Schmidt, 40, pleaded guilty last May to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false income return. He could have faced a maximum 20 years behind bars, but under a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's Office, the defendant is expected to receive a term of five years, 10 months.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips, h...