CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (KGTV) - On Thursday, 28-year-old Sergeant Gunnar Naughton pleaded guilty to charges related to stealing ammo and taking explosives from Camp Pendleton, in a story that ABC 10News first reported in March.
He pleaded not guilty to a charge that his conduct of receiving and having blasting powder was of a nature that brought discredit upon the armed forces.
In front of a military judge, he admitted that he knew that his conduct was wrong and that he could have avoided it. He broke down in tears and told the courtroom that he was caught up in a military sub-culture of theft and that he’s filled with shame and remorse for his actions.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Several Camp Pendleton Marines investigated for allegedly stealing ammo and explosives, per source
- Camp Pendleton Marine accused of stealing ammo, dumping 12,000+ rounds and grenades
He’s one of at least five marines who have been under investigation, according to a source with close military ties.
On Thursday, Sergeant Naughton admitted that while he was on active duty, he stole ammo from a range to shoot it at home with friends because he said that ammo is expensive.
He admitted that he also removed ammo cans from his team leader’s home to protect that leader from getting caught and he admitted to telling an officer to delete his Signal and Whatsapp communications.
Sergeant Naughton also pleaded guilty to trying to dump evidence into a ravine, including about 12,000 rounds of ammo, two military grenades and an M83 smoke grenade.
As of 6 p.m. Thursday, the judge handed down his sentence of 16 months of confinement, a rank reduction from E5 to E1, and an eventual disbarred from the military with bad conduct.
