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Marine Colonel Convicted Of Shoplifting At WalMart, Loses Command!
Military Corruption Dot Com ^ | 05-07-2011 | Major Glenn MacDonald US Army (ret.)

Posted on 05/08/2011 9:20:48 PM PDT by Tea Party Reveler

A COLONEL'S CAREER LOST FOR $65 - WHY DID ROBERT PETIT SELF-DESTRUCT? - MARINE COMMANDER OF 24TH EXPEDITIONARY UNIT AT CAMP LEJEUNE FOUND GUILTY OF SHOP- LIFTING AT LOCAL WAL-MART - CAUGHT HIDING PRINTER INK CARTRIDGES AND STP OIL TREATMENT BOTTLE UNDER JACKET - GETS 96 HOURS OF "COMMUNITY SERVICE" FROM SYMPATHETIC JUDGE - RELIEVED OF COMMAND BY MARINE CORPS - ENLISTED AS GRUNT BACK IN 1978 - KLEPTOMANIAC? - TIME TO RETIRE

© 2011 MilitaryCorruption.com

This is a sad story all around. One of those that cause you to scratch your head and wonder WHY? Why would a respected bird colonel in the United States Marine Corps self-destruct by shop-lifting $65 worth of items from a local Wal-Mart? Is the man a closet kleptomaniac? Is this the first time he has done this, or just the first time he was caught?

What we do have for facts are these: Col. Robert Gerald Petit, former commanding officer of the USMC 24th Expeditionary Unit at Camp Lejeune was caught on security cameras heisting two HP printer cartridges and a bottle of STP treatment and hiding the merchandise under his jacket.

Loss prevention personnel stopped the colonel at the store vestibule and took him back to the office where he acknowledged he had not paid for the items. The police were called and at that point, Petit's military career was over.

CAMERAS DON'T LIE - COLONEL CAUGHT ON FILM

Video from the store security cameras clearly show the colonel attempted to hide the purloined material and deposited wrappers in different places in the store in an apparent effort to conceal the theft.

At his court appearance, Petit's civilian attorney tried to get the case thrown out, but backed off when confronted by video proof the colonel had tried to steal the goods. Judge Louis Foy in Jacksonville, N.C. showed Petit mercy when he sentenced him to 96 hours of "community service." No fine. That's it. Such a lenient sentence might stick in the craw of some staff sergeant or gunny caught in the same circumstances. They wouldn't have gotten the same deal.

Petit appeared before the judge in his Class "A" service uniform. The judge was suitably impressed. "This man has lived an exemplary life," Foy said. "He has performed outstanding duty for his country."

The colonel, who let his lawyer talk for him, had no comment.

HOPES FOR A GENERAL'S STAR NOW GONE

The New Orleans native enlisted in the Corps back in 1978 and earned his officer's commission seven years later. Sources at Lejeune say Petit was in line for a brigadier general's star before this incident. Now, he will be lucky to retire in the grade of colonel.

He was relieved of command in February. Capt. Timothy Patrick, a spokesperson for the II Marine Expeditionary Force, said Petit received "non-judicial punishment." Since the actions taken "were administrative in nature," no further information will be released, he said.

The 50 year-old Marine officer's military career may have ended after 33 years, but he is lucky not to have paid a fine or even done a few days in jail.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: camplejeune; colpetit; neworleans; petit; robertgeraldpetit; robertgpetit; shoplifting
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To: Jonty30
I could be wrong, but I don’t think that a sargeant would have lost their career over this crime.

You would be wrong. Things like shoplifting, writing bad checks, and DUI have been "career stoppers" for NCO's for quite some time now, since I was an Army NCO (& I got out in 1987...)

the infowarrior

41 posted on 05/09/2011 6:46:33 PM PDT by infowarrior
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To: Tea Party Reveler

Something is sickening about this thread, but not sure what. Maybe it’s the sensationalism and allcaps. Don’t know. That a man threw away a career over nothing is bad enough, but it’s something else that’s bothering me here. Why is the blogger treating it like he committed mass murder?


42 posted on 05/09/2011 6:52:23 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: Larry Lucido; Tea Party Reveler
Something is sickening about this thread, but not sure what. Maybe it’s the sensationalism and allcaps.

Maybe you caught the same whiff I did.

Tea Party Reveler
Since Sep 13, 2010

I’m the guy who told you that the USS Cole was the second Al-Qaeda attack on US troops in Aden Yemen back in 2000. I risked my career to tell you freepers that back in 2000. It shouldn’t have happened and I reaped Gen. Zinni’s stars for it, didn’t I?

I find this mildly strange, TeaPartyReveler. Are you writing about yourself in your profile?

In addition, looking at the site, it seems to actually solicit juicy scandals. Jeff Rense loves it. And the owner seems to have some kind of link to 9/11 troofers, sort of.

Gazillion questions, teaparty. Maybe you can answer them.

43 posted on 05/09/2011 8:20:14 PM PDT by Hardraade (I want gigaton warheads now!!)
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To: Hardraade

That’s a great question!——”why are your writing about yourself in your profile?”. Perhaps an idiotic question.

Don’t worry about MCC-—they get lots of hits at the website. Worldwide too! Even the Chinese military reads the site! The US Sec of Defense hits the site every morning prompt at 0800 EST.


44 posted on 05/09/2011 8:40:58 PM PDT by Tea Party Reveler
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To: Tea Party Reveler

So in what context exactly were you lecturing “you freepers” back there in 2000, newbie?


45 posted on 05/09/2011 8:52:06 PM PDT by Hardraade (I want gigaton warheads now!!)
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To: Tea Party Reveler

Oh, and I thought you said 9?

No biggie. Leap forward, fall back :)).


46 posted on 05/09/2011 8:54:35 PM PDT by Hardraade (I want gigaton warheads now!!)
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To: Hardraade

Sorry I didn’t explain what happened. It was Bin Ladin’s first attack on Dec 29th 1992 in ADEN YEMEN. They attacked 2 hotels but none of our guys got hurt. That’s the moment that Bin raghead came onto the USA’s radar screen. When the USS Cole sailed into Aden, Cmdr. Lippold hadn’t been warned and they weren’t ready for what happened. I called Congress and notified the News Media.


47 posted on 05/10/2011 8:11:51 PM PDT by Tea Party Reveler
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