Two men admit stealing copper from Lake City

Two former Lake City Army Ammunition Plant employees pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to stealing more than eight tons of copper components used to manufacture ammunition for the U.S. Army.

The two men then sold the copper as scrap metal, according to a press release issued by John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Charles Dale Osborn, 46, of Odessa, and Timothy Duane Langevin, 36, of Independence, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs.

Osborn and Langevin admitted that they participated in a conspiracy to steal specially fabricated copper components, known as bullet cups, which are used to manufacture copper-jacketed 7.62 mm bullets, from the Lake City plant from Sept. 27, 2007, through March 28 of this year. 

Osborn and Langevin delivered the bullet cups for destruction to the Fusselman Salvage Company in Moberly, Mo.

According to the federal indictment, the diversion of bullet cups interfered with and obstructed the ability of the United States to prepare for and carry on war activities by interrupting the supply of 7.62 mm rounds of ammunition to the U.S. Army, which are manufactured by Alliant Techsystems, Inc., at the Lake City plant under a contract with the U.S. Army.

Osborn and Langevin were employed as machine repairmen by Alliant Techsystems during the course of the conspiracy.

Osborn and Langevin diverted approximately 16,528 pounds of copper bullet cups from the Lake City plant to Fusselman Salvage Company. By selling the copper as scrap, the men shared approximately $45,362 in proceeds.

The men initially used five gallon buckets to transport the bullet cups from the grounds of Lake City to the salvage company. Later, they used a company forklift to move entire skids of large boxes containing the bullet cups to a pickup truck for transport. 

Finally, the amounts of material became so large that the conspirators rented a U-Haul trailer to transport the material, according to the release.

Both men could face sentences of up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution.

Under the terms of Tuesday’s plea agreements, the government and the defendants have agreed that the defendants should be sentenced to at least two years in federal prison without parole.