A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in New Jersey pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars worth of government equipment, including printer cartridges, life-jackets, rappelling rope and a cold-water survival suit, and selling it over the internet.
On Tuesday, Steven Kucan pleaded guilty in District Court in Newark to one count of government theft, during the time that he worked in the Manhattan office of the ICE between 2002 and 2010.
According to an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, Kucan stole more than $70,000 worth of gear and sold around $37,000 worth on eBay. Other employees spotted Kucan wheeling the stolen goods out of the office in carts, according to court documents. Among the items he sold: printer cartridges, film, flash lights that attach to high-powered rifles, and a cold-water immersion suit, which went for $245.
Investigators seized an additional $40,000 worth of property from Kucan’s house in a February raid, including 31 police batons, a bullet proof vest, 52 flashlights, 62 pairs of leather search gloves, 33 cases of latex gloves, 4 desk lamps, 88 pairs of safety goggles, 16 orange safety vests, 5 sets of rappelling ropes, 16 pairs of handcuffs, lifejackets, binoculars, knives, and more.
Kucan faces up to 18 months in prison, depending on how much he is determined to have stolen, which is still under dispute.
