On November 14, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that Robert Alan Walker from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, pled guilty to stealing property from the United States and theft of government property.

According to court documents, Walker was a sergeant first class with the Army and assigned to the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.  He was deployed to the Forward Operating Base-Spin Boldak and Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan.  During his time in Afghanistan, he was in charge of the Enabler Security Team.  

Court documents show that Walker and another military member stole more than $1,000,000 worth of government property from December 2010 to July 28, 2011.  Walker and the unnamed military service member were able to place the government property in military connexes that were shipped back to the United States.  

Some of the stolen property includes a laser designator rangefinder worth about $290,000, a Polaris ATV worth about $11,507, two place cutters worth about $10,000 each, and a cargo trailer worth about $8,944.  

Walker pled guilty under violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and 18 U.S.C. § 641 and 2.  The FBI has not released any information about the length of his sentencing so far.  

U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Walker stated, “The theft of sensitive military equipment, such as the lightweight laser designator rangefinder in this case, puts our soldiers at even greater risk than they already are in given the potential for such equipment to fall into the wrong hands.  We owe a duty to our troops to protect them from the greed and criminal misconduct of their peers.”

Special Agent Brandi Little of the Fort Bragg U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command Office stated: “It is disappointing to see a senior non-commissioned officer abandon the army values and betray fellow soldiers while in a position of trust.”

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation