Posted on 07/21/2008 12:45:53 PM PDT by BGHater
The Marine Corps is charging two of its own in connection with a theft ring that involved the stealing of secret files on potential terrorists. The widening investigation already has produced one conviction.
Both Marines were called back to duty at Camp Pendleton and charged in late June with breaking military law, though the charges were not announced until yesterday.
Gunnery Sgt. Eric L. Froboese and Master Sgt. Reinaldo Pagan, both reservists, were charged as part of a probe into the mishandling and compromise of classified information, the Marine Corps said.
Pagan is charged with dereliction of duty and orders violations. Froboese faces charges of dereliction of duty, orders violations, conspiracy and wrongful transmission of classified information.
They have been assigned to the Headquarters and Support Battalion at Camp Pendleton while their cases are adjudicated.
A Marine Corps spokesman said it was too early to discuss possible punishments.
The men are accused of sharing secret files from Camp Pendleton with members of the Los Angeles County Terrorist Early Warning Group, a task force of law enforcement agencies.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in October that a group of reservists was being investigated for breaching national security at Camp Pendleton.
In May, the newspaper reported that the alleged theft ring was particularly interested in FBI surveillance files on Muslim religious sites in Los Angeles, and that the Islamic Center of San Diego was monitored.
That report prompted the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego on Monday to ask the FBI, the Defense Department, the San Diego Police Department and the county Sheriff's Department to turn over information about any surveillance program targeting people based solely on their religious practices.
(Excerpt) Read more at signonsandiego.com ...
Sounds like they did something that was good, but illegal. The question is, was there any harm from this.
Here we go again, these guys should be given nothing more than a reprimand, if true that they shared these files with another govt. agency it was in the best interest of the country in their minds. I applaud them at least someone is willing to do the right thing.
Maybe these marines should shoot at a border patrol agent or two - then they will get off plus have the US gov't pay their medical and legal bills - heck and probably even buy them a house.
this is different than the FBI and CIA not talking before 9-11. these guys wanted to be heroes, imho.
They did the crime - they have to do the time.
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