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United States News Title: Marines Arrested in Military Gear Thefts Several Marines have been arrested on charges of working with a group that stole ballistic vests and other gear from Camp Pendleton and sold it on the Internet, authorities revealed Wednesday. The investigation unfolded amid widespread criticism that U.S. troops in war zones lacked body armor. Authorities have arrested nine people so far, including several Pendleton-based Marines, the Department of Homeland Security said in a press release. Additional arrests were expected. The nine include Erika Jardine, who was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison by Judge Michael Baylson in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania. The Vista resident and civilian pleaded guilty in November to one count of exporting arms without a license and one count of selling stolen U.S. government property. The others worked at Pendleton, though it was unclear exactly how many were on military duty and how many were civilian employees at the base north of San Diego, said Dean Boyd, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of Homeland Security. The Marines were arrested last year and were charged in military court with theft of government property, Boyd said. According to prosecutors, Jardine sold light ceramic plates designed for use inside vests at a time when there were shortages of that part in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jardine has cooperated extensively with the government and "made great strides in attempting to right her wrongs," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. "(The) government does not believe that (the) defendant engaged in this activity out of any sinister intent to harm the United States; rather, her actions are more likely explained by the same motivation that fuels many _ greed," prosecutors wrote. An ongoing investigation at Camp Pendleton by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service has identified 12 Marines and several civilians as suspects, Homeland Security said. That number includes Marines who were already arrested. ICE agents in Philadelphia launched an investigation of Jardine in June 2004 and discovered that she was selling illegal gear in Internet auctions on eBay, authorities said. Agents who posed as arms merchants based in Europe allegedly bought 18 ballistic vests from her. Jardine, who had no previous connection to Pendleton, offered to buy surplus equipment in an ad she placed in a base newspaper, Boyd said. "Someone told her this was a way to potentially make some money," he said. In one instance, Jardine agreed to send body armor plates to an undercover agent in eastern Pennsylvania with an understanding that the buyer would forward them to Europe, according to court records. In addition to the vests that undercover agents bought, the investigation has resulted in the recovery of items worth more than $63,100, including 17 vests, 104 lightweight ceramic plates, seven Kevlar helmets, 74 M-16 magazines, two gas masks and 100,766 Iraqi dinars, authorities said. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread |
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