Copper Wire Thief Sentenced to 18 Months Federal Prison for Stealing from U.S. Department of the Navy

Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Albert Benavente Taimanglo, age 69, from Dededo, Guam was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.  He was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government Property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 641. The Court also ordered three years of supervised release, restitution of $44,567.90, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. 

In January of 2019, Taimanglo and others broke into a utility station at the United States Naval Communication Station known as Radio Barrigada.  Taimanglo and his co-conspirators cut and removed copper cable.  They later sold it as scrap to metal recycling facilities.  The wire carried a live current, which electrocuted one of the co-conspirators. It also caused an emergency power outage and hampered important military communications capabilities.

“This case demonstrates the danger of stealing copper cable that is connected to a live grid,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “The damage was beyond a simple repair, and potentially affected national security.  The sentence imposed by the Court sends a strong message of deterrence.  Recycling facilities are encouraged to report suspected copper theft to law enforcement at the earliest opportunity.”

This investigation was conducted by Naval Criminal Investigative Service and prosecuted by Benjamin K. Petersburg, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.