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Putnam residence used to illegally sell, export military optics
HUNTINGTON -- A federal document states two men used a Putnam County residence to illegally sell and export military optics stolen from the U.S. Marine Corps.
The formal charge documents at least $15,165 in illegal sales of gun sights and night vision sights. An earlier search warrant speculated the conspiracy tallied more than $52,000 in deposits to an involved bank account.
Joseph Oldani, 24, was named in the June search warrants and formally charged Christmas Eve. Federal prosecutors bypassed the grand jury, indicating a guilty plea may occur.
The criminal charge states Oldani and one other person used a Scott Depot, W.Va., residence to further their conspiracy.
"The purpose and object of the conspiracy ... would enrich themselves by stealing the optics and then unlawfully exporting and selling such items," the document states.
Federal prosecutors allege Oldani stole the optics from the U.S. Marine station in Kings Bay, Ga. He shipped or transported the items to Scott Depot. From there, the optics were sold over the Internet and shipped to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan.
The December charge follows two search warrants in June. One warrant placed a hold on Oldani's bank account, while the other authorized a search of the Scott Depot residence. It was located in the 200 block of Frazier Way.
Oldani now resides in Hubert, N.C., according to the criminal case. His Charleston-based attorney, Tim C. Carrico, declined comment Wednesday.
Oldani and his accomplice operated the conspiracy from July 2007 to February 2008. The accomplice is not named in the Dec. 24 filing.
Search warrants state Oldani was separated from the U.S. Marine Corps in September 2007 when a disability ended his five years of service.
The Defense Department's Criminal Investigation unit cracked the case through an undercover operation. According to the search warrants, the investigation occurred between January and February 2008. It involved a special agent who found the man selling the items on the Web site.
The warrant states the agent expressed interest and negotiated a deal to buy five items for $11,700. The agent sent a $3,000 down payment. The remaining money followed.
The five items were shipped to an undercover mailbox in Connecticut, according to the warrant. The return address indicates the items were mailed from a shipping store in the 5300 block of MacCorkle Avenue in South Charleston. Some of the items included user manuals titled "U.S. Marine Corps Technical Manual." The manuals say the property was "for official use only."
Items purchased during the undercover investigation originally had been purchased by the Defense Department and shipped in 2006 to a facility in Georgia.
