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Alaska Aircraft Parts Thief Caught and Fined
Anchorage, Alaska – In a shocking case of aviation theft, the aircraft restoration company B-25 Group, LLC, led by Edward Thomas Reilly Jr., has been caught and fined $55,000 for unauthorized use of public lands in Alaska.
According to investigators, the company removed parts from a historic F-82 crash site located south of Fairbanks, Alaska, without authorization from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The F-82, serial number 46-497, took off with two other F-82 aircraft from Ladd Air Force Base (AFB) (currently U.S Army Garrison Fort Wainwright) on January 16, 1950, for local practice of aerial interceptions.
The crash site was located on the Tanana Flats near Fairbanks, and during the removal, salvagers affiliated with B-25 Group located and removed parts from the crash site without authorization from BLM, the agency that manages federally owned lands. B-25 Group initially asserted the parts had been lawfully acquired from a salvage yard in Fairbanks.
However, the U.S. Air Force had formally abandoned ownership of the remains of all USAF aircraft which had crashed prior to November 1961, Air Force and public land policy requires salvagers to obtain permission and coordinate salvage plans with the owner of the land. In the case of this F-82 aircraft, the land owner is the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
The settlement agreement provides BLM with $50,000 for archeological work in recovering the remainder of this historic aircraft. B-25 Group has also agreed to provide patterns and specifications for the parts it recovered from 46-497 and built into its P-82 currently undergoing restoration.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Cooper, the additional $5,000 was assessed as a civil penalty and will be used by BLM to further its efforts to protect historic aviation properties in the State of Alaska. Ms. Loeffler commends the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior, for the investigation of this case. In addition to the BLM, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations also are to be commended for their efforts associated with the investigation of this case.
B-25 Group, LLC, has been fined $55,000 and the company has agreed to provide patterns and specifications for the removed parts. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting public lands and obtaining necessary permits for any salvage operations.
Defendant: B-25 Group, LLC (Aircraft restoration company based in Douglas, Georgia)
Criminal Charges: Unauthorized use of public lands
City and State: Anchorage, Alaska
Exact Date: July 2008 (when the parts were removed)
Sentence or Outcome: $55,000 fine and agreed to provide patterns and specifications for the removed parts
Dollar Amounts: $55,000 fine, $50,000 for archeological work, and $5,000 civil penalty
Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Category: White Collar Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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