More than $1 million of U.S. military equipment was stolen from a base in Kentucky and sold on eBay, according to testimony from a federal trial, U.S. media report.
According to the reports, a part of the stolen equipment was resold to buyers in Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Ukraine. The equipment included machine gun and rifle parts, helmets, guns, medical equipment, gun sights, body army and more.
John Roberts, a 27-year-old from Clarksville, Tennessee, testified Wednesday that he didn’t know the equipment he received was stolen. Roberts said soldiers from Fort Campbell told him the equipment was legally purchased from other soldiers, or that the Army was throwing the equipment out, The Tennessean reported. He also said he didn’t know that he needed to have a license to export certain items overseas.
Michael Barlow, a former Fort Campbell platoon sergeant who pleaded guilty to theft of government property and conspiracy, testified that they started small, but eventually escalated to truckloads of military equipment. He said Roberts even gave him a “Christmas list” of items he wanted the soldiers to steal in Afghanistan and bring back to the United States, Fox News reported.
The scheme allegedly operated from 2013 until 2016.
Roberts is being tried in Nashville on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to steal and sell government property and violating the Arms Export Control Act. Six soldiers and his civilian business partner made plea deals in exchange for their testimony.
A 14-member jury will hear closing arguments and begin deliberations in the case on Thursday.
Reported by AKIpress.
