Former Sierra Army Depot Employee Indicted For Theft Of Military Equipment

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Former Sierra Army Depot employee Tony Herrin, 36, of Reno, Nev., was arrested on Monday for conspiracy to steal and sell government property and theft and sale of government property, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

On Thursday, July 3, 2014, a federal grand jury returned a two‑count indictment alleging that between January and April 2013, Herrin and co-conspirator Devon Biggs, civilian employees at the Sierra Army Depot (SIAD) in Lassen County, conspired to steal and sell United States military equipment from SIAD.

According to the indictment, on numerous occasions Herrin and Biggs removed U.S. military equipment from SIAD buildings, adjusted item codes in the computer database to conceal their thefts and arranged to sell the equipment to various buyers. On one occasion, they loaded a military vehicle with equipment stolen from SIAD, drove the vehicle from SIAD to a parking lot just outside the SIAD gate, and sold the equipment to an individual whom they had arranged to meet.

Herrin made an initial appearance in Reno on Monday and is scheduled to be arraigned on July 14, 2014. Biggs was charged in a separate indictment on May 5, 2013, and is scheduled to appear in district court for a status conference on September 17, 2014.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Law Enforcement Division of the United States Army and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jean M. Hobler and Christiaan Highsmith are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Herrin faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on count one and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on count two. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.