A San Diego man, tasked by the U.S. Navy to make sure equipment is safe and secure, admitted to selling stolen gear on eBay to buyers in Hong Kong for thousands of dollars.
Phillip Jamison, 31, a former Gunner's Mate Petty First Officer stationed aboard Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, managed millions of dollars worth of sensitive military equipment including weapons at one time.
But Jamison stole more than 280 items from the U.S. Navy between October 2008 and September 2009. Everything from tactical flashlights and rifle scopes to laser aiming devices and night vision technology.
On Thursday, the 11-year Navy veteran admitted he used eBay to sell the items and exported some of the technology to Hong Kong without an export license from the U.S. State Department.
Federal prosecutors announced the plea in a written news release adding that Jamison must repay more than $170,000 to the U.S. Navy as part of the plea.
Sentencing is scheduled on August 1, 2011.
Former federal prosecutor John Kirby questions why it took almost a year before someone realized the items were missing.
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"The Navy's got to figure out how this happened and why nobody missed it," Kirby said. "You would think they have inventory controls."
In federal court on Tuesday, Jamison pleaded not guilty to charges that include trafficking stolen government property.
If convicted, he could get up to 30 years in prison, and more than $1 million in fines.
