Troutville Man Sentenced to Prison for Selling Stolen Night Vision Goggle Components

ROANOKE, Va. – Steven Rosine, a former employee at a production facility here that manufactures night vision goggles used by the U.S. military, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to 18 months in federal prison for stealing night vision devices and other components and selling them over the Internet. Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar and Special Agent in Charge Raymond Villanueva for the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. field office, made the announcement today.

Rosine, 48, pleaded guilty in September 2020 to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

“When Rosine stole critical defense products to sell for his own greed, he committed a serious crime,” Acting United States Attorney Bubar said today. “Today’s sentence ought to send a strong message to those who are trusted with protecting our national security infrastructure that such conduct will not be tolerated.  We appreciate the hard work that went into this case by the dedicated team, including Homeland Security Investigations and the Roanoke County Police.”

“HSI has the authority and the duty to investigate crimes involving the online sale and distribution of stolen or looted property,” said Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Washington D.C. field office. “Working closely with the Department of Justice on these cases is vital to ensure the individuals and organizations responsible for these crimes are prosecuted.”

According to court documents, from 1996 to 2019, Rosine was employed as a production engineer at Harris Corporation’s night vision manufacturing facility in Roanoke, Va. During his employment Rosine had access to night vision devices and various components used in device manufacturing.

Between approximately 2010 and 2014, Rosine stole approximately 66 pounds of a soft metal called Indium, a crucial element used in the night vision manufacturing process. He sold the stolen Indium on the Internet to a company in California for his own personal financial gain, yielding a profit of $51,622. 

Beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2018, Rosine stole various image intensifier tubes, night vision systems, and component parts from Harris Corporation. Rosine listed these items for sale on an Internet website. Rosine maintained a dedicated PayPal account, into which he deposited more than $119,000 in proceeds from his illicit sale of night vision devices.

A majority of the night vision devices sold by Rosine are classified as third generation image intensifier tubes and were manufactured using classified production data. They are categorized by the Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) as “Defense Articles,” which are subject to control under the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the jurisdiction of the Department of State.

The investigation of the case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation and the Roanoke County Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Kristin B. Johnson prosecuted the case for the United States, in coordination with William Mackie, Counterintelligence & Export Control Section, National Security Division, U.S. Department of Justice.