Former Navy Officer Sentenced to Prison for Selling Stolen Military Gear Overseas

Richard Allen, a former Navy officer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in a scheme to steal more than $850,000 worth of military gear and sell it to bidders from China, Russia and dozens of other countries, DOJ announced last week.

Allen, who was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in August, when DOJ accused him of taking Navy uniforms, winter gear, flame retardant shirts and pants, soft body armor, goggles, infrared flag patches and other goods. He then worked with other people to sell those items to customers overseas, accepting payments through PayPal and transferring the money to bank accounts in increments of less than $10,000 to avoid bank reporting requirements.

The Bureau of Industry and Security's export enforcement office in Boston worked on the case, DOJ said. James Guanci, special agent in charge of the office, said BIS will “continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who commit export-related crimes.”