Retired Sailor, and Accomplice, Plead Guilty to the Theft of over $60,000 from Exchange

Navy Exchange Building in Bethesda Maryland. (Navy)

A retired Sailor and an accomplice pleaded guilty to stealing over $60,000 from August 10, 2018, to November 1, 2108. The Navy Times identified Gregory Custer, the retired Sailor, as a retired CPO. This wasn’t the first time he didn’t obey the law. As of the time that he was doing this, he was on probation for misusing funds. He had a history of theft and fraud.

They may have been selling these items. The accomplice, Donna Sieglein, invited another with the claim that they could make $1,000.00 or more.

The Capital Gazette goes into detail:

Authorities reviewed months of surveillance footage, which captured on Sieglein in the electronics department on numerous occasions shoveling merchandise into a bag she was carrying, the agreement details.

“During these instances,” federal prosecutors wrote, “(Custer) stood by looking out for (Naval Exchange) personnel or engaged in conversation with (Naval Exchange) personnel to distract them from Sieglein’s thefts.”

Sometimes, the plea explained, Custer picked out items, handed them to Sieglein for her to stow away in her bag. The pair made low-value purchases each time they visited the store to avoid suspicion of theft, the plea details.

Custer made the purchases by showing his military identification card at checkout, the plea details.

Investigators seized a cell phone from Sieglein and retrieved text messages as well as pictures of pristinely packaged electronics, the price tags still attached, according to the plea.

In one message Sieglein invited another person to join her at the store, saying they’d “make at least $1,000. We would also be able to get any (Michael Kors) purse you want. It’s super easy and safe,” she wrote the person, according to the plea.

You could read more here. This is also reported on CBS Baltimore and on Stars and Stripes.

Category: "Teh Stoopid"