The Region - News from Aug. 16, 1985

A Navy radioman could be sentenced to as many as 55 years in prison this fall after his conviction on charges that he tried to sell secret cryptographic computer cards stolen from his ship. Petty Officer Michael Tobias was convicted in U.S. District Court in San Diego on six counts of conspiracy and one count of the willful retention of defense information. Tobias, 21, of Perkinsville, N.Y., will be sentenced Nov. 11. Four others defendants, including Tobias’ brother and nephew, are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to lesser charges. Tobias was charged with stealing a dozen cards from the Peoria, a tank-landing ship based in San Diego. One of the radioman’s daily jobs aboard the vessel was to destroy cryptographic cards.