By Troy Turner
ANNISTON – Eight central-Alabama men involved in a theft ring stealing military equipment from Anniston Army Depot and then reselling it were sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay millions of dollars in restitution, U.S attorneys reported.
The men were one each from the communities of Goodwater, Hokes Bluff, Anniston, Munford, Gadsden, Childersburg, Sylacauga and Alexandria.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Alabama, announced the sentences May 30 and released information from court documents that gave insight to the scheme.
Police officers with the Directorate of Emergency Services and other civilian employees at the depot stole high-value military property from warehouses at the Depot over a period of several years and delivered it to middlemen, according to court documents and evidence presented during a trial.
“The middlemen delivered the stolen property to the owner of a military surplus store to sell. The conspirators split the money from the sale of the stolen property.
“The stolen items included equipment that was designed to be attached to military weapon systems to provide operators with instant nighttime engagement capabilities and/or improved target acquisition,” U.S. attorneys said.
The following individuals were sentenced to federal prison in connection with their participation in the conspiracy, the office announced:
Steve Bonner, 63, of Goodwater, a middleman, was found guilty of conspiracy to steal United States property following a four-day trial. The court sentenced him to 30 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $1,873,200 to the United States Department of Defense.
Jerry Baker, 63, of Hokes Bluff, a captain with the Directorate of Emergency Services, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 25 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3.75 million to the United States Department of Defense.
Kelvin Battle, 54, of Anniston, a sergeant with the Directorate of Emergency Services, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 21 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $2,414,582 to the United States Department of Defense.
Eric Matraia, 54, of Munford, a guard with the Directorate of Emergency Services, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 16 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3 million to the United States Department of Defense.
Shane Farthing, 42, of Gadsden, a guard with the Directorate of Emergency Services, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 15 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $707,000 to the United States Department of Defense.
Christopher Price, 55, of Childersburg, the owner of a military surplus store in Sylacauga, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 14 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3,940,940 to the United States Department of Defense.
James Kenneth Scott, 73, of Sylacauga, a middleman, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 12 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3.5 million to the United States Department of Defense.
Scott Bunch, 54, of Alexandria, a Defense Logistics Agency supervisor, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal United States property. The court sentenced him to 12 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3.75 million to the United States Department of Defense.
Anniston Army Depot is the designated Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for tracked and wheeled ground combat vehicles (minus Bradley), towed and self-propelled artillery, assault bridging systems, individual and crew-served small-caliber weapons and locomotives, rail equipment and non-tactical generators. It repairs and maintains vehicle systems such as the M1 Abrams tank, M88 Recovery Vehicle, Stryker, M113 M9 Ace Combat Earthmover and the Assault Breacher Vehicle. Major components of each vehicle are also overhauled and returned to stock.
“These sentences send a clear message that such criminal conduct will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. “The successful investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrates the dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure that these defendants were brought to justice.”
“I’m proud of the great work done by the investigative team and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring these government employees and their co-conspirators to justice,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “Our office will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure those who steal from our military supply chain and degrade our combat readiness are held accountable.”
“This is the latest example of Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division working collaboratively with federal partners to relentlessly pursue those who conspire to steal government property,” said D. Todd Outlaw, Special Agent in Charge, Southern Field Office, Army CID. “Army CID will continue to protect Soldiers, families, civilians, and warfighting assets from crimes that affect readiness and warfighting capabilities in multi-domain operations.”
Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Ryan Rummage prosecuted the cases.
The Department of Defense Office of Inspector Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Logistics Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case with assistance from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
Also, U.S. Attorney Escalona; Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones; Defense Logistics Agency Office of the Inspector General Deputy Inspector General Jerold Unruh; and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent in Charge D. Todd Outlaw.
