A California Marine has been hauled into federal custody after authorities say he treated a military armory like a personal pawn shop, stealing high-tech missile systems and selling them off in Arizona.
Corporal Andrew Paul Amarillas, an Arizona native who served as an ammunition technician at Camp Pendleton, is accused of making off with a terrifying haul of restricted “weapons of war,” including Javelin missile systems and military-grade ammo, according to federal court documents.
Federal agents have already recovered at least one of the powerful weapon systems and ammo, but some “2 million rounds of M855” ammunition may reportedly be unaccounted for, according to AZFamily.
Prosecutors allege that in one case, Amarillas offered roughly 30 cans of ammunition — about 25,000 rounds — to a co-conspirator. Over the span of about two weeks, investigators say he stole and sold 66 cans of M855 rifle ammunition, with only about a third later recovered.
The Javelin — a “fire-and-forget” anti-tank missile system — is capable of punching through heavy tank armor from miles away, per Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the Javelin missile system in partnership with RTX.
Amarillas is currently facing a laundry list of federal charges, including conspiracy to commit theft and embezzlement of government property and possession and sale of stolen ammunition, reported the LA Times.
He is being held without bail awaiting trial.
