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Former NIST Employee Sentenced in Steel Theft Scheme

A former NIST employee pled guilty to charges of theft of government property related to his conversion of large quantities of industrial steel samples while in charge of the NIST program dedicated to testing its strength and structural integrity. On December 12, 2008, the individual was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay a $25,000 criminal fine. In addition, the court concurrently imposed asset forfeiture, pursuant to the plea agreement and sentencing statement. This asset forfeiture includes the steel and computers that were seized during the execution of the search warrant at the defendant’s residence in March 2006. The value of the forfeited assets is over $900,000. A motion to finalize the forfeiture is expected to be filed with the Court in April 2009, after a public notice has run and no claims are filed for the forfeited property, and will result in the completion of the forfeiture and the recovery of the assets.