By Susan Shroder, The San Diego Union-Tribune
Aug. 19–SAN DIEGO — A former civilian contractor at Camp Pendleton has admitted that he stole thousands of dollars worth of equipment from the base, federal prosecutors said.
James Dean Salmon, 47, of Escondido, appeared in U.S. District Court in San Diego Tuesday and pleaded guilty to theft of public property, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Salmon worked at the Marine Corps base as a contractor beginning in 2004, repairing and replacing equipment throughout Camp Pendleton. He admitted that from December 2007 through August 2011, he stole more than $27,000 worth of government equipment, according to a plea agreement.
In the scheme, Salmon represented working equipment as broken, or repairable equipment as not repairable, then bought items that were not needed, claimed to install them, and then stole them, the plea agreement said. The type of equipment was not specified.
Many items were recovered in his residence after a search warrant was issued, the statement said.
Salmon is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 16 before U.S. District Judge John A. Houston. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
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