John Montano, Stealing Government Property, California 2017

San Diego, CA – In a stunning case of government corruption, a former defense contractor has pleaded guilty to stealing over $250,000 worth of medical equipment from Camp Pendleton in California. John Montano, a 44-year-old man from Grants, New Mexico, admitted to conspiring with others to steal the equipment, which was intended to be shipped overseas to treat injured Marines.

Montano and his co-conspirators, who have already pleaded guilty, worked in warehouses run by the 1st Medical Logistics Company (1st MEDLOG) aboard the USMC Camp Pendleton. The unit is responsible for maintaining medical equipment and shipping necessary medical items to combat forces throughout the world.

By virtue of his employment as a civilian defense contractor, Montano had access to sophisticated, expensive medical equipment stored at 1st MEDLOG warehouses. In his plea agreement, Montano admitted to participating in a conspiracy to steal expensive medical equipment from 1st MEDLOG, including anesthesia machines, autoclaves, ventilators, ultrasound machines, defibrillators, and laryngoscopes among other items.

Montano further admitted that he used his access to and knowledge of this medical equipment to help his co-conspirators steal the items from the warehouse. His co-conspirators then secretly removed the items from the base and sold them on the open market.

As part of his plea, Montano agreed to a restitution order of $250,000 to repay the U.S. Marine Corps for the value of the medical equipment that he stole. Montano will appear for sentencing on [DATE], 2017, at [TIME] before U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys W. Mark Conover and Michelle L. Wasserman are handling the case. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is investigating the theft of equipment from Camp Pendleton and other Navy installations. The public is encouraged to contact NCIS at 1-800-264-6485 or www.ncis.navy.mil if they have information about the theft.

The case is a stark reminder of the importance of rooting out corruption among defense contractors. Acting U.S. Attorney Alana W. Robinson expressed her commitment to holding accountable those who betray the public trust.

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