Suspect in Theft of Military Parts Escapes Arrest

A member of a ring that allegedly shipped stolen military equipment to Iran has escaped arrest and is being sought, federal officials said Thursday at a court hearing.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Phillip Halpern told U.S. Magistrate Roger C. McKee that the man, whom he identified only as a Filipino, fled the United States after stories about the government investigation were reported over the weekend.

Halpern declined to reveal the suspect’s identity, where he lived or where he fled. The prosecutor said the man was actively involved in the selling of stolen F-14 aircraft parts to Iran and had fled with his family.

Halpern and Assistant U.S. Atty. Steve Crandall, who is also prosecuting the case, declined to say how the suspect and his family managed to elude law enforcement officials. Investigators began tapping the phones of alleged ring members in April, and the suspects were kept under constant surveillance.

Federal prosecutors also said that the San Diego-based ring is much larger than first reported.

“It was a worldwide distribution network (of parts) to Iran. . . . It was not a conspiracy by one, two, three or five individuals. It took a lot of coordination and a large amount of people,” Halpern said.

Six suspects, including a Navy enlisted man and a Navy civilian employee, are in custody in San Diego, New York and England.