By CHAD GARLAND | STARS AND STRIPES Published: May 24, 2021 A former Air Force employee who coordinated travel for members of Congress has pleaded guilty in federal court to the theft of Pentagon funds through cash advances on his government-issued travel card as part of a $1.1 million embezzlement scheme. Eddie Ray Johnson Jr., 60, of Brandywine, Md., used his Citibank travel card over more than three years to put cash advances into a Bank of America account at the Pentagon, court documents said. The scheme cost the Air Force $26,500 in banking and service fees, they said. Under a plea deal on May 14, Johnson admitted to diverting at least $774,000 of the stolen funds for personal use, such as buying a baby grand piano, making loan payments for a Harley Davidson and taking family vacations.