A judge Friday sentenced a former Fort Carson sergeant to 12 years in prison for bilking more than $700,000 from fellow soldiers, many of whom had served with him in Iraq.

Fourth Judicial District Judge Kirk S. Samelson imposed the maximum sentence on Delroy Henry, 39, for his guilty plea to 52 counts of securities fraud in an investment scheme that prosecutors said victimized 96 people from 2005-2010.

“Mr. Henry, you betrayed your friends. You betrayed your fellow soldiers,” Samelson told Henry, a decorated U.S. Army medic. “Regardless of what your motives were going into this scheme, you eventually knew it wasn’t working and you lied to them.”

The sentence came after the judge heard from several soldiers who talked about how Henry had used the trust they rely upon in battle to steal money they had saved for their retirement or their children’s college education.

Jeffrey Conner, who invested $2,500 with Henry, said his claim of making an 18 percent return on investments seemed believable at the time.

Conner said he worries about soldiers currently deployed in Iraq who might be distracted from their combat role because of the financial situation that Henry created back home.

“I just hope they come back safe,” Conner said. “Because if they come back maimed or injured or dead because they’re not concentrating on what’s in front of them, then 12 years isn’t enough.”

Henry apologized to his victims.

“This might look like a Ponzi scheme, but the bottom line is I intend to pay every one of them back,” he said.

Prosecutors videotaped the sentencing so that about 30 victims currently deployed could watch the sentencing later.

Deputy District Attorney Samorreyan Burney said Henry took money he was supposed to invest and instead spent it on luxury items such as three vehicles including a Jaguar and Land Rover, as well as jewelry and travel to Hawaii and Jamaica.

But Deputy Public Defender Cindy Hyatt countered that Henry didn’t get rich off the investments. She described him as someone who wanted to be seen by his peers as a savvy investor, when in fact, he wasn’t.

Some of the people who invested with Henry did make money, Hyatt said. Of the $1.1 million that he took in, she said about $370,000 was paid back. She said Henry intends to pay an estimated $730,000 in restitution owed to the victims.

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