In El Paso today, a federal judge sentenced a 25-year-old separated U.S. Army soldier from Nacogdoches, TX, who still had access to Fort Bliss, to 18 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for theft and possession of stolen firearms on Fort Bliss, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama ordered that Christopher Darnell Harris be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
On April 23, 2019, Harris pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of stolen firearms, once count of theft on Ft. Bliss, unlawful carrying of firearms on Ft. Bliss, and simple possession of marijuana while on Ft. Bliss.
By pleading guilty, Harris admitted that from April 2017 and June 2017, he entered two gymnasiums on post and stole items from inside the lockers of at least ten known service members, namely wallets and keys. Harris also used the stolen keys to break into vehicles and steal two handguns.
Agents with the Department of Defense Criminal Investigation Command investigated this case along with Military Police on Fort Bliss. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Malia O’Reilly and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg McDonald prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
