Posted on 03/30/2005 2:20:22 PM PST by Horatio Gates
VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) -- Three Moody Air Force Base airmen have been arrested in an alleged scheme to take bulletproof vests from the base and sell them to drug dealers for $100 each.
Airman 1st Class Brian Aubray Skelton, 22, was arrested on a charge of theft by receiving stolen property and remained in Lowndes County Jail on Tuesday. Airman Todd Louis Boutte, 22, and Airman 1st Class Jared Wayne Roberts, 21, were in military custody, said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.
Boutte and Roberts were accused of taking the vests from the base while Skelton was accused of distributing them outside, Paulk said.
Eighteen of the tan vests, that typically are sold for up to $600, have been recovered but others still may be on the street, Paulk said.
''You never want the bad guys to have all the tools that you've got to work with,'' he said. ''You get in a situation where the first shot is fired and you're expecting it to be effective and it's not.''
Base spokeswoman Lt. Jennifer Gerhardt was not immediately able to say on Tuesday what action, if any, the base may take against the airmen. She said the men did not work in the base's supply office but could not immediately elaborate on how the men had access to the vests or were able to move the vests off the base.
The investigation began last week when police arrested 36-year-old suspected gang member Antonio Conaway and found he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Police wondered where he got the vest until Paulk heard Saturday from Lanier County Sheriff Nick Norton that the vests may be coming from Moody Air Force Base.
The investigation led police to five nonmilitary individuals, all of whom were arrested on drug possession or trafficking charges. Police also confiscated cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy pills, including 10 pounds of marijuana and 150 ecstasy capsules at the home of Jimmy James Griffin Jr., 64, and Patricia Louise Griffin, 54.
Kapreal Griffin, 25, whose charges include marijuana and cocaine trafficking, possession of ecstasy and receiving stolen property, turned himself into authorities Tuesday afternoon, Paulk said.
Paulk said he believes the vest Conaway was wearing was one of about 20 that the military men may have taken from Moody and sold to drug dealers.
''Now we know where it came from,'' Paulk said.
FGS what were they thinking.
Wow.. Conspiring to make money by selling stolen government bulletproof vests to drug dealers.
They want to really leave no doubt at all that they deserve lots of prison time.
O F , drug money is corrupting more than these kids.
REMF BS.
Assuming that these "gentlemen" enlisted out of High School, they're rather old to still be E-2s and E-3s. They have had more problems then this one incident. I was an E-5 by the time I was 22.
Assuming that these "gentlemen" enlisted out of High School, they're rather old to still be E-2s and E-3s. They have had more problems then this one incident. I was an E-5 by the time I was 22.
They messed with the government! They will be made to pay, probably with very long prison terms. And that is actually fine with me, since these vests would have gotten into the hands of criminals.
My USAF Master Sgt. friend told me the same thing or basically that this was probably the nail in their coffin since they more than likely have seen some UCMJ already. I can never keep the AF enlisted ranks strait.
I could never get Navy Officer ranks straight. Especially when you have to count wide and narrow stripe on the sleeve of a dress jacket. You can at least get an idea when you see Chicken Collar Brass that you're saluting someone that would be a Colonel in the Air Force, Army, or Marine Corps. (Was that a Commander?)
I think the Bird is a Captain (0-6?) in the Navy. I tell some of the young guys at work that recently separated from the service that I was a Spec 5 and get funny looks.
Obviously, you've been out for a while. They did away with the Spec 5 grade several years ago.
I got my stripes for my Spec 5 in 1985.
He is shown on tape handling the cocaine and laughing about it being worth more than gold.
I lived in his community at the time and the tought of those drugs out there was sickening.
Then you must have been one of the last.
History of the U.S. Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
1985. The grades specialist five and specialist six were discontinued effective 1 October 1985.
Oh yes. There is more than one lawyer showing up in court with powder on his nose. (Doughnuts)?
You're probably right. It was in late September and about 15 of us in my battery were converted the same day. We weren't a combat arms unit so there was never any hurry to get minor stuff like that out of the way but the E-5's coming back CONUS from Germany earlier in the year already had their stripes.
I got my stripes for my Spec 5 in 1985.
The Army phased them out in the 90's. All that's left now is Specialists(E-4).
Mother of Boutte, he was E-4
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