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Military weapons stolen; 6 Marines arrested
In this story:
October 16, 1997
- Officials: 'Lethal' explosives involved
- Captain arrested in Massachusetts
- Joint undercover sting operation
- Pentagon orders security review
- Related stories and sites
Web posted at: 7:17 p.m. EDT (2317 GMT)WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Six Marines and seven civilians were arrested Thursday in connection with what Pentagon and law enforcement authorities called a scheme to sell stolen military weapons.
The arrested Marines include a captain and five enlisted personnel. The case involves the theft of explosives and weapons from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, officials said.
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Detailed map of the area
"On a scale of 1 to 10, this is a 10," said one official, referring to the weapons that were seized.
However, Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon said he understood that "there are primarily small weapons at stake" in the case.
"I am not aware that there has been a huge problem" with military arms thefts, Bacon said.
Officials: 'Lethal' explosives involved
The stockpile of stolen weapons includes mortars, grenades, .50-caliber machine guns, land mines and C-4 plastic explosives, federal officials told CNN.
A Treasury Department spokesman described the plastic explosives involved as "very lethal weapons" and said they were the weapons of choice of terrorists.
The investigation, dubbed "Operation Longfuse," centered on "the theft and subsequent distribution of U.S. government property, particularly military ordnance, throughout the southeastern United States," said William Perry, special agent in charge of the FBI's office in Charlotte.
Two of the seven civilians arrested in the case were identified by the FBI as weapons dealers, including a manager at the Coach and Sons Military Surplus store in Raeford, North Carolina, and the manager of Classic Arms in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina.
The Coach manager, Alton Laverne Sharpe Jr., 34, was accused of illegally selling the C-4 explosives and "knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such material was stolen," the FBI said.
Weapons were reportedly sold out of the backs of cars at local gun shows in North Carolina.
Captain arrested in Massachusetts
The Marine captain was arrested at the Marine Reserve Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he worked. The man, identified by Marine officials as Capt. Thomas Crawford had recently been transferred from Camp Lejeune.
He was being returned to North Carolina.
Crawford's arrest came after federal agents seized what appeared to be crates of ammunition at his home in Millis, Massachusetts, a small town about 30 miles southwest of Boston.
In Millis, authorities cordoned off the area around Crawford's white frame home and seized at least 10 boxes and crates with military markings "similar to what munitions are usually stored in," said Naval investigator Jeff Morrow.
Camp Lejeune officials identified the other five as Staff Sgt. Timothy Witham of Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina; and Master Gunnery Sgt. Alfred Gerich, Gunnery Sgt. James Sanders, Sgt. Ronald Moerbe, and Sgt. Darius Hill, all of Camp Lejeune.
The specific charges they face were not immediately known. Officials said the charges involved the illegal manufacture and distribution of firearms and explosives.
Joint undercover sting operation
The arrests stemmed from a joint undercover sting operation involving the FBI, the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
The investigation began after a non-commissioned officer noticed weapons were missing and reported the problem to his superiors. The arrests were made after suspects attempted to sell material to undercover agents.
The investigation also targeted the illegal manufacture and sale of automatic weapons and explosives.
Pentagon orders security review
In the wake of the arrests, Defense Secretary William Cohen ordered a 30-day review of security and accountability procedures for small arms and ammunition.
"It is imperative that we be confident that military arms and munitions are tightly controlled and safeguarded," Cohen said in a statement.
Earlier Thursday, Cohen told reporters, "Obviously, no security system is 100 percent foolproof."
Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre and Reuters contributed to this report.
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