Three Camp Pendleton Contractors Plead Guilty To Pilfering Over $3 Million In Medical Equipment

United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced that three civilian contractors who until recently worked at Camp Pendleton appeared today in federal court, and pled guilty to charges stemming from their theft of expensive medical equipment that the military had planned to ship overseas to treat injured Marines.

According to the Indictment, defendants Henry Bonilla, Richard Navarro and Michael Tuisee worked in warehouses run by 1st Medical Logistics Company (“1st MEDLOG”) aboard Camp Pendleton -- the United States Marine Corps’ largest West Coast expeditionary force training facility. 1st MEDLOG is the unit responsible for maintaining medical equipment and shipping necessary medical items to combat forces throughout the world. By virtue of their employment as defense contractors, the defendants had access to sophisticated, expensive medical equipment stored at 1st MEDLOG warehouses. In their plea agreements and at today’s hearing, each defendant admitted to participating in a conspiracy to steal medical equipment from 1st MEDLOG, including ultrasound machines, ventilators, hydroclaves, defibulators, headlights, and laryngoscopes. The defendants repeatedly stole these costly medical items, loaded them into their personal vehicles, and surreptitiously sold them to medical equipment resellers – often meeting with customers during nighttime rendezvous in secluded parking lots. The defendants admitted that the combined value of the stolen medical equipment exceeded $3 million.

The defendants pled guilty today at a hearing held before Magistrate Judge William McCurine, Jr., and their guilty pleas are subject to final acceptance by District Court Judge Cathy A. Bencivengo. All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 24, 2013 at 9 a.m. by Judge Bencivengo.

United States Attorney Duffy commented: “The defendants stole medical equipment that was meant to be shipped to our troops, secretly transported it off of Camp Pendleton, and sold it for their own personal gain. Today’s guilty pleas advance the goals of rooting out corruption among our area defense contractors, and sending a strong message that the Department of Justice will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who seek to profit at the expense of our men and women in uniform.” Duffy reminded the public that these charges were the result of an ongoing investigation into theft of valuable property aboard Camp Pendleton, and asked the public to contact the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) at 1-800-264-6485 or www.ncis.navy.mil if they have any information relevant to that investigation.asdf

DEFENDANTS		Case Number: 13cr0338-CAB
Henry Bonilla Richard Navarro Michael Tuisee
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1: Conspiracy to Engage in Theft of Government Property, Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 (all defendants) Maximum penalties: 5 years in prison, $250,000 fine, term of supervised release of 3 years, restitution, and $100 special assessment.
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Naval Criminal Investigative Service