Timothy L. Maurer, Theft of Government Property, Illinois 2023

A Naperville man has been accused of stealing U.S. computer equipment worth over $332,000 while working for a U.S. military contractor in Afghanistan.

Timothy L. Maurer, 51, a former systems administrator for Raytheon Corp., pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property in federal court in Chicago.

According to the government, Maurer stole over 150 items of computer and communications equipment, including laptop computers, cellular telephones, computer switches, adaptors, batteries, power cables, and electronic storage devices, between December 23, 2013, and February 2, 2014.

The equipment was stolen from storage containers and other areas belonging to the 445th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, a U.S. Air Force unit, stationed at Shindand Air Base in Afghanistan.

Maurer forced open a lock to gain entry to a storage container and also stole equipment from other locations where the equipment was being stored or used.

He communicated with multiple vendors in the United States to arrange sales of the equipment, which was valued at approximately $152,697. Equipment worth approximately $180,005 was recovered from Maurer's quarters, from vendors, or was intercepted after it was shipped but before it reached vendors.

Maurer received payment from vendors via online transactions or wire transfer of funds.

The case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Army Criminal Investigative Division/Major Procurement Fraud Unit (CID/MPFU), and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

Maurer is free on his own recognizance while awaiting sentencing, which was scheduled for April 7. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while his plea agreement anticipates an advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines range of 24 to 30 months incarceration.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman and DOJ Trial Attorney Wade Weems on detail to the Criminal Division's Fraud Section from SIGAR.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/naperville-man-admits-stealing-us-computer-equipment-worth-332000-while-working-defense