Washington, D.C. – A 40-year-old Hughesville, Maryland man, Victor R. Papagno, has pleaded guilty to Theft of Government Property in connection with his stealing nearly 19,000 pieces of computer and office equipment from the U.S. Department of Navy (“Navy”) while he worked at the Naval Research Laboratory, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor and Sandy MacIsaac, Special Agent in Charge, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Washington Field Office, announced today.

Papagno entered his guilty plea today before the Honorable Paul L. Friedman, U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia. Papagno faces a statutory sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the pecuniary value of the items stolen. Sentencing is scheduled for December 22, 2008. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the Government and the defendant have agreed that an appropriate sentence for Papagno would be 12 to 18 months in prison.

According to the Statement of the Offense filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the Court, Victor R. Papagno was employed for 18 years by the Navy. Starting in 1989, Papagno began working as a computer specialist and eventually was promoted to a computer systems administrator at the Naval Research Laboratory, which is located at 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. Beginning in 1997 and continuing through August 18, 2007, when NCIS agents executed a search warrant at Papagno’s home, Papagno routinely took home computer and office equipment after work without being detected. Among the items Papagno admitted stealing over a 10-year period were:

● more than 100 personal computers;
● 167 computer keyboards;
● 275 computer mice;
● 712 computer power supply cords;
● 86 USB/Firewire cables;
● 80 computer monitors;
● 187 printer toner cartridges;
● 4,842 pieces of computer software; and
● 6,997 pieces of computer storage media.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, the parties agreed that the actual value of all the items -- at the time they were stolen from the Navy -- was at least $120,000.

As reflected in the Statement of the Offense, the property was taken by Papagno for his personal benefit and for the benefit of friends and family members of friends. Although a small number of items were either sold or traded by Papagno, or given to family and friends as gifts, most of the equipment was recovered by NCIS agents during the search of Papagno’s home and hauled away in a large semi-trailer truck at the time of the search.

In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Taylor and NCIS Special Agent in Charge MacIsaac commended the work of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, including Special Agents Tim Hall, Joe Twilley, Wes Shelton, and David Jensen, Investigator Eric Brumley and Supervisory Special Agent Cliffton Everton, as well as the staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant April Peeler and Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Mitzelfeld, who is prosecuting the case.