LI Man, Two Others, Charged With Bribing Navy Employee

A Freeport man and two other New York residents were indicted on Tuesday for giving cash bribes to a Department of the Navy employee to make unauthorized liquor purchases at a Navy Exchange.

Edwin D. Fragoso, 44, of Freeport, was charged in a six-count indictment. Also charged were Adam Agaev, 43, and David Manasherov, 37, both of Brooklyn, who were charged in a nine-count indictment. Authorities say that Fragaso purchased more than $1.3 million of liquor over the course of the scheme, and Agaev and Manasherov purchased more than $5 million.

Eric J. Jex, 29, of Uniondale, the Department of the Navy employee who received the bribes, previously pleaded guilty to one count of bribery, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11.

Jex was a supervisory sales associate at the NEX at Mitchel Field in Garden City, and was responsible for preparing and processing retail transactions. He had direct authority to make decisions concerning large liquor orders and shipments from the NEX’s warehouse in Suffolk, Virginia. He was also subject to policies limiting access to the NEX’s goods to authorized personnel, such as Navy service members, and requiring NEX employees to check purchasers’ IDs.

According to authorities, from approximately Nov. 13, 2015, through Dec. 13, 2016, Jex agreed with Agaev, Manasherov and Fragoso to arrange repeated large purchases of liquor from the NEX. Authorities say Jex allowed the three to buy NEX liquor at significant discounts. Jex admitted that, in exchange, he accepted more than $250,000 in cash bribes, typically $5 to $20 per case of liquor.

Authorities say that Agaev, Manasherov and Fragoso caused interstate wires to be sent from New York to Virginia, deprived New York State of excise taxes and resold the liquor purchased from the NEX for profit.

In addition to bribery, the three were also charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud and honest services fraud. Manasherov was charged with tampering with an official proceeding and destruction of evidence subject to a federal search warrant. Fragoso was charged with making false statements to law enforcement agents.

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