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This case is unusual as it is rare for an Admiral to even face criminal proceedings Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-Navy-Admiral-Guilty-Plea-Navy-Bribery-Scheme-382400401.html#ixzz4B8MhpHYZ Follow us: @nbcsandiego on Twitter | NBCSanDiego on Facebook A rear admiral in the U.S. Navy plead guilty to one felony charge in connection with a multi-million dollar bribery scheme that has led to the arrest or imprisonment of more than a dozen U.S. Navy officers and Pentagon employees. Rear Admiral Robert J. Gilbeau appeared in court Thursday in the downtown San Diego federal courthouse. Gilbeau entered a change of plea to one count of providing false statements to federal investigators and...

SAN DIEGO – The District Attorney's Office spent nearly $270,000 prosecuting David Westerfield, including thousands for DNA analysis and expert witnesses, it was announced today. Westerfield was sentenced to die for the February 2002 killing of 7-year- old Danielle van Dam. The former Sabre Springs resident and neighbor of the victim is now on death row at San Quentin. According to figures the District Attorney's Office released, more than $35,000 was spent on experts for Westerfield's trial, and more than $146,000 on DNA analysis. More than $62,000 was spent on a telephone survey and a jury questionnaire review.

Early last month, Dave Laspisa, a Poway businessman, opened his mail and discovered a holiday card from his old friend David Westerfield. "Greetings of the Seasons," the card announced, and inside was a handwritten note of thanks for Laspisa's support. Van Dams file lawsuit against Westerfield During the past year, Laspisa has been fairly vocal in his belief that Westerfield, his camping buddy, had nothing to do with the murder of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam. "Please know that I was not involved in the death of this child," Westerfield wrote. "I'm saying this to you not to solicit more help...

SAN DIEGO – The parents of murdered 7-year-old Danielle van Dam sued her convicted killer, David Westerfield, on Thursday, one day before a San Diego judge was expected to sentence him to death for the harrowing crime. Damon and Brenda van Dam seek unspecified damages in their San Diego Superior Court lawsuit against Westerfield, the 50-year-old engineer who was found guilty in August of snatching Danielle from her bed and killing her. Westerfield, a twice-divorced father of two who lived near the van Dams in Sabre Springs and bought Girl Scout cookies from Danielle just days before her February abduction,...