U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha | U.S. Department of Justice
A former U.S. Navy officer has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme that involved stealing and selling military gear valued at over $850,000. Richard Allen, 53, from Citrus Heights, California, was convicted of conspiracy and money laundering charges. The sentencing took place in the U.S. District Court in Providence, Rhode Island.
Allen's actions included selling stolen military equipment to buyers from more than fifty countries, including China and Russia. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha stated, “Sworn to serve his country, Richard Allen instead chose to serve his own shameless greed at the expense of the taxpayer and his fellow men and women in uniform.”
Special Agent Michael T. Wiest from NCIS highlighted Allen's betrayal of his oath to the Navy and defrauding taxpayers by perpetuating an illegal scheme for personal gain. Patrick J. Hegarty of DCIS emphasized the commitment to protect the integrity of the Department of Defense supply chain.
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Michael J. Krol remarked on how Allen endangered national security for profit, while James Guanci from the Office of Export Enforcement noted Allen's accountability for selfishly profiting from stolen goods.
The investigation revealed that while stationed at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown-Cheatham Annex in Virginia, Allen exploited his access to steal items such as uniforms and body armor, which were then sold globally through various means including PayPal transactions.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Paul F. Daly Jr., prosecuted the case with investigations conducted by multiple agencies including NCIS-Northeast Field Office; DCIS-Northeast Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations; Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement-Boston Field Office; and the FBI.
