Former Employee at Aberdeen Proving Ground Sentenced in Theft of Government Property
Stole Tons of Aluminum from APG Buildings and Locations
| U.S. Attorney’s Office December 12, 2012 |
BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Ronald Phillips Baker, Sr., age 62, of Havre de Grace, Maryland, today to one year of home detention with electronic monitoring as part of five years’ probation for stealing aluminum from Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). Judge Quarles also ordered Baker to pay restitution of $25,732.38.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Robert Craig of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Mid-Atlantic Field Office; the Directorate of Emergency Services, U.S. Army Garrison, Aberdeen Proving Ground; and Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to Baker’s plea agreement, Baker worked at APG as the captain for a patrol boat on the upper Chesapeake Bay. He had a security clearance that authorized him to enter into secured areas at APG. From September 13, 2010 to April 22, 2012, Baker stole 27,496 pounds of aluminum and other metals from an APG building. Typically, Baker would steal the aluminum after dark, if no vehicles were nearby. Baker sold the stolen metal for $14,316.70 to recyclers at scrap value for personal gain. Baker only stopped stealing aluminum from the building after steel plates were placed over the aluminum, which prevented access.
On April 23, 2012, Baker stole approximately 2,740 pounds of fabricated aluminum outriggers stored on pallets near another APG building. These outriggers were actively used to test specialized vehicles for the U.S. military. Baker took the stolen outriggers to his house and sold them the next day to metal recyclers at scrap value for $1,510. The government places the value of the fabricated outriggers at $112,500. The outriggers were recovered from a local scrap dealer.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the DCIS, APG’s Directorate of Emergency Services, and FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce K. McDonald and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Marlaire, who prosecuted the case.