Marine gets 10 year term in arms case

[thedrifter]

Marine gets 10 year term in arms case
April 30,2004
ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF

One of several Marines charged in connection with a rash of thefts involving weapons and explosives aboard Camp Lejeune was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday.

As part of a plea bargain at his court-martial, Cpl. Kevin J. Lambert Jr., 21, of Holly, Mich., pleaded guilty to attempting to sell government property, two charges of selling government property, stealing government property, conspiracy to steal and dispose of government property and two charges of receiving government property.

In exchange for Lambert's plea, the government withdrew one count of attempted sale of government property, six counts of larceny and one count of receiving stolen property.

Lambert would have faced about 100 years in prison if he had been found guilty of all charges originally brought against him.

Several weapons, equipment and explosive thefts have occurred since troops returned in June from the war in Iraq. Eleven Marines have been charged in four cases.

Lambert, assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, said that in October he conspired with another Marine to traffic military explosives and equipment.

During his trial at Camp Lejeune, Lambert said he sold a $20,000 MK-152 remote detonation device kit in a barracks room on Camp Lejeune and about half-pound of Composition 4 "plastic" explosive and about 50 inches of detonation cord in a vehicle in a nearby parking lot.

Lambert didn't know his customer was an undercover agent of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

In November, Lambert again attempted to sell another two MK-152s and 12 blasting caps, with a total value of more than $40,000, to the same NCIS agent.

The deal at the base Hospitality Inn ended when Lambert was apprehended by two other NCIS agents and an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent during a sting operation, Lambert said during trial Thursday.

Military defense lawyer Capt. Brian Lucero pointed out that Lambert had a meteoric rise in the Marine Corps, making the rank of corporal in just 15 months of service.

A back injury sidelined Lambert from training, exercises and operations. He turned to dealing legal items like cigarettes that people wanted while he was in Kuwait last spring.

He earned a reputation as a wheeler-dealer. He started dealing illegal goods at Lejeune.

"I felt like the go-to-guy who could get stuff - it was addicting," said Lambert, a combat engineer who frequently works with explosives.

"Some people compared me to Klinger on MASH."

"The accused was a willing dealer who chose to sell explosives on the black market (and) had a willingness to continue the business transactions," said military prosecutor Maj. Devin Winklosky.

"He was not a middleman, but a zealous salesman (who) bragged about being the guy who could get things."

Lambert could serve as little as six years of the 10-year sentence he received if he makes good on his pretrial agreement to testify against two other Marines involved in the case.


Contact Eric Steinkopff at esteinkopff@jdnews.com or 353-1171, Ext. 236.


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Ellie