Hogsett Announces Martinsville Man Charged in Stolen Property Scheme

INDIANAPOLIS—Joseph H. Hogsett, United States Attorney, announced today that a Martinsville man has been charged with interstate transportation of stolen property following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The complaint alleges that Kenneth W. Farr, 52, stole machining parts, tools, and equipment from his employer, Rolls Royce in Indianapolis; advertised them for sale on eBay; and sold at least some of the parts to a tool supply business in Ohio. When Farr sold the parts, he transported them himself to the buyer on three separate occasions. The parts Farr stole include ceramic inserts, carbide inserts, boring bars, and computer equipment. The ceramic inserts, carbide inserts, and boring bars are used in the machining process by Rolls Royce to machine and finish turbines, wheels and discs used in gas turbine engines, including the engines used in the military’s V-22 Osprey and the C-130 cargo airplane. None of the stolen items are considered classified and are commercially available. Rolls Royce has estimated the value of the parts stolen at over $200,000.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Winfield D. Ong, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Farr faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Following a hearing held on August 8, 2011, Farr was ordered released on certain conditions to his home in Martinsville pending trial.

A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.