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A former Navy officer stole military equipment. Then he sold it to the highest bidders around the world.
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A former Navy officer stole military equipment. Then he sold it to the highest bidders around the world.

Allen pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy and six counts of money laundering.

Allen stole Navy work uniforms, winter gear, flame retardant shirts and pants, soft body armor, goggles, infrared flag patches, Navy SEAL Trident insignia and small arms skid plates while stationed at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown-Cheatham Annex, in Williamsburg, Va., according to court documents obtained by the Globe.

Allen and his co-conspirators stored the items at various locations, including in Rhode Island, according to U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha’s office. Allen and others had identified domestic and international bulk customers for the stolen goods and arranged for delivery either in person or by commercial shipping.

Payments for the stolen goods were frequently made and received through PayPal, including dozens of payments made from an account in China. The proceeds were then transferred to the bank accounts of the co-conspirators, including Allen, in smaller increments of $10,000. The installments were part of an effort to avoid bank reporting requirements.

In addition to China and Russia, military equipment has been delivered to paying customers in 50 different countries, including Malta, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Ukraine, Indonesia, Turkey, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and other countries. The conspirators helped Allen distribute the stolen goods in Argentina, Luxembourg, Latvia, Belarus, Denmark and Martinique.

Emails hosted on a Russian server revealed the extensive inventory that Allen, using co-conspirators, was able to obtain and sell, according to documents obtained by the Globe. In August 2013, for example, Allen fulfilled a $25,000 order for hundreds of items.

Allen lured his co-conspirators into recruiting friends to assist in the base break-ins and agreed to pay them thousands of dollars in pay, according to court documents. Allen accessed the police radio codes at the military base so he was able to call and monitor their activity each night of the burglary, keeping a close eye to ensure each heist succeeded over several years. An unindicted co-conspirator estimated that 10 to 20 burglaries occurred under Allen’s direction, according to court records. He encouraged his co-conspirators to travel abroad with him after these burglaries and spent months in Central and South America.

“Sworn to serve his country, Richard Allen instead chose to serve his own shameless greed at the expense of the taxpayer and his fellow men and women in uniform,” Cunha said Thursday.

Allen continued to lead the conspiracy and then receive payments after he retired from the US Navy. When Allen retired, he transferred his client base to a lower-ranking co-conspirator, Matei T. Deleoto manage day-to-day operations. Deleo was CHARGED in 2016.

“Richard Allen decided to steal from the United States Navy and profit selfishly by selling the goods globally. Today, he was held accountable for his actions,” said James Guanci, special agent in charge of the Office of Export Controls for the US Commerce Department’s Boston field office.

Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, said Allen failed to perform his job with honesty and integrity and took advantage of his position in the Navy to commit fraud, “deceiving both his fellow officers and and taxpayers”.

The matter was investigated by Naval Criminal Investigative Service-Northeast Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service-Northeast Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement-Boston Field Office, and FBI.

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Alexa Gagosz can be reached at [email protected]. Follow a @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.