LAS VEGAS, Nev. - A Henderson, Nev., man pleaded guilty today to selling military-issued ammunition, smoke grenades, and other equipment that was stolen from the U.S. Air Force, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.
Temogen Tran Noguni, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized sale of property of the United States. United States District Chief Judge Gloria M. Navarro accepted the guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for Nov. 17, 2017. At the time of sentencing, Noguni faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the plea agreement, Noguni met co-defendants Jonathan Joseph Owens and Daniel Schwartz through Vape and Shoot, a group that smoked vapors and shot firearms in the Las Vegas area. Owens, a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, offered to provide Noguni and Schwartz with military ammunition for their use in shooting their personal firearms, which they accepted. Owens had stolen the ammunition from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Owens then offered to sell Noguni ammunition along with smoke grenades, body armor plate carrier vests, and other stolen military equipment. Noguni and Owens met on 8-10 occasions for delivery of and payment for stolen military smoke grenades; military equipment including a red dot optical rifle scope; a set of night vision binoculars and goggles; military ammunition to include 9mm, 5.56x45mm, and.50 caliber cartridges; and other military equipment. The.50 caliber ammunition, which is not available for sale to the general public, is armor-piercing incendiary ammunition designed to pierce the shell of armored vehicles and explode inside. Many of the containers for the ammunition and grenades were designated with military unit markings from Nellis Air Force Base. Noguni then listed the stolen military ammunition, smoke grenades, and equipment for sale on the Internet and an undercover ATF agent purchased some of the stolen items.
Owens, 27, of North Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to theft of property of the United States and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29, 2017. Schwartz, 42, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to retaining stolen property of the United States and was sentenced to three years probation.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared L. Grimmer.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
