6 Marines face jail time for selling stolen gear
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  1. #1

    Exclamation 6 Marines face jail time for selling stolen gear

    October 31, 2008
    6 Marines face jail time for selling stolen gear

    Advertiser Staff

    Six Marines based at Kane'ohe Bay could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if convicted in federal court of selling stolen night-vision equipment on the open market.

    Charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods out of the United States are Charles Carper, 22; Ryan Mathers, 20; Ronald Abram, 20; Mark Vaught, 23; Brendon Schultz, 24; and Jason Flegm, 22.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents investigated the case for prosecution. The investigation began in July when agents received information that Carper, a lance corporal, was allegedly selling PVS-14 Generation 3 night-vision devices on the eBay Internet auction Web site, possibly overseas, in violation of international traffic in arms regulations.

    The sophisticated Generation 3 scopes allow soldiers to see long distances in low-light conditions.

    Agents said they purchased merchandise from Carper in September through eBay and learned that additional scopes were being sold on eBay by Mathers.

    Mathers allegedly agreed to sell undercover agents eight PVS-14s, valued at $3,000 each, for $20,000.

    On Tuesday, ICE agents assisted by Defense Investigative Service, Navy Criminal Investigative Service and U.S. Marshals Service personnel raided Mathers' apartment in Waipahu and seized eight Generation 3 devices stolen from the Navy as well as seven earlier models.

    A raid was also conducted at Carper's residence.

    The six Marines made their initial appearance Wednesday before a federal magistrate. In addition to federal charges, the Marines are all subject to discipline from the military.

    "I am shocked that members of our American armed forces would even consider selling such sensitive military equipment to others outside our country," state U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said.

    "If they were successful," Kubo continued, "this high-tech equipment might be used by our enemies against fellow U.S. Marines. These are serious allegations which demand swift, immediate and strong reaction from the Justice Department, and there also needs to be a strong review of inventory accountability for such sensitive equipment by our military."

    Ellie


  2. #2
    6 Kaneohe Marines Accused Of Selling Night-Vision Devices
    Prosecutors Say Device Found For Sale On eBay

    POSTED: 9:24 am HST October 31, 2008
    UPDATED: 9:39 am HST October 31, 2008

    HONOLULU -- Six Kaneohe-based Marines are accused of stealing night vision goggles from the military and trying to sell them on the Internet auction site.

    One of the defendants, Ryan Mathers, 20, appeared in federal court on Thursday. He was released on bond.

    The six are accused of scheming to steal night-vision devices, to sell possibly overseas, which is a violation of international traffic in arms regulations.

    These high-tech scopes allow soldiers to see at long distances in low-light conditions.

    The investigation began in July when federal authorities discovered one of the items for sale on eBay. The serial number had been removed, but it was still traced back to the Marine Corps.

    A cooperating defendant contacted Mathers, who according to court documents, agreed to sell eight more scopes for $20,000.

    A search of Mathers' Waipahu home and another defendant's home turned up eight night vision scopes allegedly stolen from the Navy and seven other scopes.

    If convicted, Mathers and the others face up to 10 years in prison.

    Ellie


  3. #3
    Marines arrested for plotting to steal sensitive military equipment for personal gain

    Posted: Oct 31, 2008 09:23 PM

    Updated: Oct 31, 2008 09:23 PM

    MARINE CORPS BASE (KHNL) - Six Marines stationed at Marine Corps Base in Kaneohe Bay appeared in federal court Thursday to face charges of conspiracy to smuggle goods out of the United States, stemming from a scheme to steal sensitive military equipment from the base to sell on the open market for personal profit.

    The six active duty Marines - all United States citizens -- were arrested Tuesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, following the execution of search warrants at two of the defendants' residences.

    The case is still under investigation.

    The Marines were released from the Honolulu Federal Detention Facility to their units Friday.

    The Marines are:

    Cpl. Mark Allen Vaught, a legal clerk and native of Abingdon, Va., is a member of Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

    Lance Cpl. Jason Alan Flegm, a legal clerk and native of Michigan, is a member of Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

    Lance Cpl. Ronald W. Abram III is a legal clerk and member of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment as an infantryman.

    Lance Cpl. Charles L. Carper, an infantryman and native of Columbia, Penn., is a member of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

    Lance Cpl. Ryan A. Mathers, an assaultman and native of St. Josephs, Ind., is a member of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment

    Cpl. Brendon L. Schultz, an Electro-Optical Ordnance Repairer and native of Tazewell, Ill., is a member of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

    The Marine Corps will continue to work closely with other federal agencies concerning this investigation.

    Ellie


  4. #4
    Marines plead not guilty in plot to sell gear
    By Greg Small - The Associated Press
    Posted : Saturday Nov 1, 2008 11:59:34 EDT

    HONOLULU — Six Marines arrested in connection with the sale of night vision scopes belonging to the Corps have been released from custody after pleading not guilty to federal conspiracy charges.

    The six are accused of conspiring to sell the devices thinking they would be illegally exported, officials said.

    Charles Carper, 22, sold an ITT Nightquest PVS-14 Generation 3 Night Vision Monocular scope for $2,500 in September during an undercover operation run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), federal officials said. He sold two more PVS-14s in October for $5,000, they said.

    Two other accused Marines, Ryan Mathers, 20, and Ronald Abram, 20, were arrested Tuesday after eight PVS-14s were sold for $20,000, the officials said. Three co-defendants — Brendon Schultz, 24, Jason Flegm, 22, and Mark Vaught, 23 — were also arrested for allegedly acting as lookouts for the transaction, and Carper was arrested a short time later, they said.

    The scope, which can be handheld or mounted on combat helmets or weapons, allows troops to see at distances dark conditions, said Steven J. Marceleno, a special agent with ICE.

    The device is a controlled good under the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations and may only be exported with a license and by being registered with the U.S. State Department. None of the Marines met the qualifications, Marceleno said in court documents.

    Abram’s defense attorney, Richard Pafundi, said Friday that the scopes are readily available on the Internet.

    “Anybody can buy this stuff,” Pafundi said. “There’s probably hundreds of thousands of them in the community.”

    Dana Ishibashi, Carper’s defense attorney, and Mathers’ attorney, Matthew Winter, declined comment. The defense attorneys for Schultz, Flegm and Vaught didn’t returns calls seeking comment.

    Eight of the scopes belonged to the Marine Corps, while three were the property of the Army, officials said.

    “Stealing, selling and exporting sensitive military technology are serious violations of federal law,”” said Wayne Wills, special agent in charge of the ICE office of investigations in Honolulu.

    But Pafundi noted, his client and the other Marines are charged with conspiracy, not theft of the scopes.

    Ellie


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