James Dean Salmon, Theft of Public Property, California 2015

A brazen scheme to line his own pockets has landed a former civilian contractor in hot water. James Dean Salmon, a 47-year-old Escondido resident, pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing thousands of dollars of United States property from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Salmon, who exploited his position as a civilian contractor to cause unnecessary purchases of equipment, admitted to stealing a total of $27,362.68 worth of government equipment from December 2007 through August 2011.

According to court documents, Salmon would falsely represent functioning equipment as broken, or repairable equipment as unrepairable. When new equipment would arrive, Salmon would then falsely claim to have installed it – while, in fact, he would steal the new items for his own personal use.

The scheme was uncovered during a search warrant at Salmon's residence, where much of the stolen equipment was recovered.

Salmon is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2015, before U.S. District Judge John A. Houston. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for the theft of public property, as outlined in Title 18, U.S.C., Section 641.

The United States Marine Corps, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of the Navy, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, collaborated on the investigation that led to Salmon's guilty plea.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of accountability and transparency in government contracting.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/former-civilian-contractor-admits-stealing-equipment-camp-pendleton