Sailor Charged Over Theft Of Grenades From Navy Ship

GREAT LAKES, IL — A sailor arrested Tuesday at Naval Station Great Lakes faces federal charges over the theft of explosives from a Navy ship last year. Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Aaron A. Booker, 31, a Waukegan resident, was charged with possession of stolen explosives for alleged stealing 20 hand grenades from the destroyer where he was stationed. According to a complaint from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the investigation began after the G911 concussion grenades were reported missing from the destroyer USS Pinckney last February.

Investigators learned Booker was in the process of transferring to Great Lakes at the time. They interviewed 15 sailors who had access to the grenades, and each allowed NCIS to search their homes and vehicles.

"During those interviews, numerous witnesses" told investigators that Booker was "angry with his commanding officer and his entire chain of command on USS Pinckney based on a previous disciplinary matter."

Booker's job in the ship's weapons department involved checking the temperature of the secured weapons locker in which the grenades were stored, according to the feds. He traveled from California to Illinois about a week after the grenades were found to be missing.

Then on April 20, 2017, an off-duty Orange County, California sheriff's deputy discovered a backpack with 18 grenades left on the side of an Arizona interstate. According to the complaint, it was a standard military issued backpack with Booker's name handwritten on a tag inside it.

“A backpack full of grenades on the side of the road is obviously extremely dangerous and could have had resulted in injuries or death,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman, announcing the arrest. “The theft of explosives is a very serious offense, particularly if it is carried out by an insider with access to military weapons and secrets.”

Each concussion grenade has about a half-pound – 226 grams – of TNT inside.

At first, Booker claimed the backpack had been stolen, although his story contained glaring holes and contradictions, according to the complaint. Booker went on to tell investigators he asked several people in San Diego about the grenades and suggested NCIS look in Tijuana, Mexico to find the last two unrecovered grenades.

He allegedly said "his former motorcycle club was associated with two individuals in San Diego who had connections to the 'cartel,' and the grenades were stolen at the request of the cartel."

Booker continued to deny that he stole the grenades, according to the feds, but he did admit going "into the box" to make sure the grenades were there. A search of his phone revealed he conducted web searches about G911 grenades and watched web videos about the weapons.

“Navy sailors are trusted with maintaining dangerous and sensitive equipment onboard naval vessels to ensure the Navy is always prepared to protect and defend the interests of the United States,” said Belinda Saunders, Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Southwest Field Office.

“It is a violation of that trust for any service member to steal from the United States Navy for any reason," Saunders said. "This case is particularly troubling given the explosive nature of what was stolen, which could have seriously injured others."

Booker is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing in the Northern District of Illinois before he is transferred to San Diego. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted, according to the Department of Justice.