Notable Thefts From The National Archives

[Jack from Charlotte]

Lots of prison time handed out......

https://www.archives.gov/research/recover/notable-thefts.html

[NJCher]

1. That is quite fascinating

Not a lot of offenses, it appears. Some interesting motives, such as the guy who altered Lincoln’s document. Many of the individuals committing this crime have a high degree of education and a low level of ethics.

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. Sounds like the archives needs to upgrade their security. Nt

[Hortensis]

3. Interesting, thanks. Struck by what a huge deal tRump's thefts are

compared to theirs. I'm very curious about what documents he took and what they were to be used for. Who knows? Aside from his attempt to seize power, we may get him for betraying the U.S. by trying or intending to sell or just pass something.

[70sEraVet]

4. Thanks for that link. The motivation behind almost all those thefts was money.

One seemed to be just a 'collector'.
All of those materials mentioned in the link were only valuable because of their historical significance.
What significance or value would the documents have that BigMac Boy took? Top Secret military/intelligence communications? These don't get sold on eBay. These would be sold to our foreign enemies through valuable intermediaries - the kind that TFG was playing golf with last week!

[Bayard]

5. K&R

[harumph]

6. My observations:

1) the national archives aren't sufficiently secured &
2) the penalties for stealing valuable documents are paltry - certainly not enough
to dissuade others.

[Ohio Joe]

7. Very interesting stuff...

Thanks for posting

[LAS14]

8. Fascinating! Thanks! nt

[crickets]

9. K&R for visibility.

[question everything]

10. K&R

[ARPad95]

11. Here's one from 2012 involving a government contractor named James F. Hitelsberger.

https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/12/tinker-sailor-soldier-spy/

Tinker, Sailor, Soldier, Spy
By Aaron Sekhri
Nov. 12, 2012, 10:33 p.m.

Hoover Archives mistakenly displayed classified docs, FBI investigation leads to removal

The Hoover Institution unwittingly displayed classified documents to the public in a collection donated by James Hitselberger, a linguist contracted by the Navy, according to an Aug. 6 affidavit filed by the FBI. The affidavit was unsealed on Nov. 5.

Hitselberger was charged on two counts of unlawful retention of national defense information under the Espionage Act, for which he pleaded not guilty on Oct. 26.

[snip]




https://sgp.fas.org/jud/hitsel/complaint.pdf

CRIMINAL COMPLAINT

I, the complainant in this case, state that the following is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
On or about April 11, 2012, at the Naval Support Activity – Bahrain, outside the jurisdiction of any particular
state or district of the United States, but within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the United States and
therefore, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 3239, within the venue of the United States District
Court for the District of Columbia, the defendant violated:

Code Section
18 U.S.C. § 793(e)

Offense Description
Unlawful Retention of National Defense Information

This criminal complaint is based on these facts:

See Attached Affidavit

AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF CRIMINAL COMPLAINT

I, MARCUS ANDRE MORGAN, being duly sworn, depose and state as follows:

I. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF PROBABLE CAUSE

1. I make this affidavit in support of a criminal complaint charging JAMES F. HITSELBERGER (HITSELBERGER), DOB 12/7/56, with violating 18 U.S.C. § 793(e). As set forth in greater detail below, a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has revealed probable cause that, on April 11, 2012, HITSELBERGER, while serving as a contract linguist at the Naval Support Activity – Bahrain (NSA Bahrain) and having received extensive training in the proper handling of classified materials, unlawfully retained national defense information – to wit, two classified reports that contained, among other things, current and sensitive information about the activities of U.S. armed forces in the region.

[snip]


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hitselberger

In April 2014, Hitselberger and federal prosecutors reached a plea agreement. Under the agreement, Hitselberger pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor of unauthorized retention and removal of classified documents, and the Espionage Act charge was dropped.[4][5] The charge to which Hitselberger pleaded guilty involved only two documents; the earlier dropped charges related to the documents donated to the Hoover Institution.[4]

On July 17, 2014, Hitselberger was sentenced to time served, and a $250 fine.[5]