Ex-Guardsman sentenced to prison for stealing, selling scrap metal from US border fence in AZ
By APThursday, September 16, 2010
Ex-Guardsman sentenced in US border fence theft
TUCSON, Ariz. — A former Air National Guardsman has been sentenced to 15 months in a federal prison for stealing and selling scrap metal from the U.S. border fence projection in Arizona.
Robert J. Kelley was found guilty in March of one count of theft of government property, a crime that could have imprisoned him for 10 years. He was ordered to pay nearly $43,000 in restitution and sentenced to three years of supervised release after his prison term.
The 50-year-old Wyoming resident was part of a National Guard task force that helped build fences along the Arizona-Mexico border in 2007 and 2008. He was accused of stealing at least five truckloads of scrap metal, selling the materials for $11,450.
Prosecutors told the Arizona Daily Star that Kelley used money from the sale to buy a handgun, cowboy boots and tools, among other things.
Information from: Arizona Daily Star, www.azstarnet.com
