Great Moments in Stealing

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Fifteen cargo handlers at San Francisco International Airport have pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to steal laptop computers, DVD players and other valuables from packages addressed to U.S. troops in Okinawa, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

The thefts occurred between November 2003 and April 2005 and amounted to about $200,000 worth of merchandise, said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan's office.

Prosecutors said the cargo handlers, after reading customs declarations that listed the contents and value of each package, removed the items and retaped the packages before sending them.

More than 570 military personnel and their families reported items missing from their shipments, prosecutors said. Common targets included digital cameras, DVD players and jewelry. About 60 percent of the packages were insured, said Luke Macaulay, a spokesman for Ryan.