Men Charged for Selling Stolen Military Property

RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal criminal information has been filed charging JARED KENT NUCCI, age 28, of Fayetteville, NC, with one count of shipping stolen property belonging to the United States military overseas in violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).  In a separately filed criminal information, JOSE MANUEL ORTIZ-RIVERA, age 32, of Fayetteville, NC, was charged with one count of conspiracy to steal government property.

NUCCI AND ORTIZ-RIVERA conspired with other individuals to steal and illegally sell government property and military equipment.  ORTIZ-RIVERA stole military equipment from the United States Army at Ft. Bragg and sold it to others.  NUCCI utilized an eBay account to sell and export stolen military equipment to Japan without having first obtained from the Department of State a license for such export or written authorization for such export.

These cases are related to a previous filed indictment charging SCOTT DOUGLAS BROWNING, age 42, of Fayetteville, NC, and a criminal information filed charging Victor Manuel Cortijo, age 39, of Fayetteville, NC.  BROWNING was sentenced on August 9, 2019, before Chief Judge Terrance W. Boyle after pleading guilty to two counts including theft of government property and violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.  In his plea agreement, BROWNING agreed to make restitution to the U.S. Army in the amount of $1,854,000.  On September 16, 2019, CORTIJO pled guilty before Chief Judge Terrance W. Boyle to one count of conspiracy to receive stolen government property. CORTIJO’s plea agreement includes making restitution of $67,500 to the U.S. Army.

If convicted of these charges NUCCI faces maximum penalties of twenty years imprisonment, a fine of $1,000,000 and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. ORTIZ-RIVERA faces maximum penalties of five years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.  

Both NUCCI and ORTIZ-RIVERA are expected to enter guilty pleas in federal court.  Their arraignments have not yet been set.  The charges and allegations contained in the criminal information’s are merely accusations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.  

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel J. Diaz is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.