The Case of the Stolen Night Vision Goggles
Mar 5th, 2008 | By Michel Marizco | Category: General News
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THE BORDER REPORT
I'm almost disappointed in this story, because of the amount of effort the guy went through for such a small payoff. But here goes:
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee is being investigated by internal affairs for stealing two pairs of night vision goggles from the U.S. Customs Air Branch at the Air Force base in Tucson and selling them on eBay.
The Office of Professional Responsibility (the internal affairs arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is now investigating James Williams, a Tucson man working for Customs and Border Protection who sold a pair of night vision goggles that were stolen from a storeroom at the Customs Air Branch on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (holy god that's a lot of jargon).
The goggles, made by ITT Industries, were reported missing last August, officials told the internal affairs investigators.
The man who purchased the goggles told investigators he submitted the winning bid, $3,700, and then drove out to Casa Grande to meet Williams and finish the buy. Williams, he said, told him he had just returned from Iraq and made the night vision goggles from a couple of old pairs.
The internal affairs investigators noted the serial numbers had been bumped off when the buyer handed them over to the Feds.
I don't yet see an indictment in federal court for Williams, but I'd expect to see one soon. I'm also not yet clear what his position was in Customs and Border Protection but when I find out, I'll let you know.
Re-reading this memo The Miami Herald grabbed hold of a few days ago that went out to 20,000 Customs and Border Protection officers nationwide, I'd have to say that CBP has got a lot of work ahead of them if they're serious about fighting public corruption.
-- Michel Marizco
