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Plea reached in military tools theft plot

WASHINGTON, April 2 (UPI) -- An ex-military contractor pleaded guilty in federal court in North Carolina to conspiring to steal military generators in Iraq, officials said.

David John Welch, 36, of Hope Mills, N.C., pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiring to steal property under the control of a government contractor, the U.S. Justice Department said in a release.

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Court documents indicated Welch was operations and maintenance manager of a U.S. government contractor on Victory Base in Baghdad in 2001, and could influence how and where military and U.S. government equipment was distributed. In October, Welch and a co-conspirator plotted to steal and sell 38 generators on the black market in Iraq. After the generators were stolen from the compound, Welch was given about $38,600.

Sentencing is July 9, the Justice Department said. Welch could be sentenced a maximum 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release after he is released from prison. As part of his plea agreement, Welch will pay $160,000 in restitution to the United States.

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