APG Police Officer Pleads Guilty to $35K in Theft: U.S. Attorney

A former Aberdeen Proving Ground employee pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing and concealing that he stole $35,000 in Army property, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

Lamont McNeill, 45, of Baltimore, was a police officer and sergeant at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) from 2002 to February 2015, patrolling the campus outside of business hours, the statement said.

According to his plea agreement, McNeill entered buildings that had mistakenly been left unlocked and if nobody was around, took electronics including laptops, an iPod, iPad, camera, camera accessories and other equipment.

Of five Apple products that were stolen, four were linked to iTunes accounts belonging to McNeill or his family members, authorities allege.

In the thefts—which occurred from September 2011 to August 2014—McNeill allegedly put the stolen goods in a bag, which he transferred to his personal vehicle at the end of his shift, the statement said.

With permission from McNeill’s wife, agents searched his home on Feb. 5 and found a number of reportedly stolen items in the home, the district attorney reported.

“McNeill was unaware of the ongoing search and during his interview, he denied stealing any government property and claimed, for example, that his family did not use Apple products,” the Maryland district attorney said in a statement.

McNeill faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for concealing and retaining stolen federal government property, according to the statement.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 23.