A 36 year-old Lassen County resident, in charge of receiving, categorizing and inventorying military gear from the Sierra Army Depot in Herlong, is suspected of selling high-tech weapons and equipment stolen from the base.
According to the Army Investigator’s report Devon Gregory Biggs, a civilian employee at the base, is charged with removing and selling sophisticated equipment that had been shipped to Herlong from Afghanistan and Iraq. According to charges filed by the military in Sacramento Federal Court, Biggs attempted to smuggle nearly $85,000 in equipment while under surveillance last Wednesday.
According to paperwork filed in Federal Court late last week, Biggs “would have had unlimited access to items before they were inventoried and documented.”
“Any items found and concealed by persons opening the containers would not be noted as missing, if identified at all, until the final inventory and shipping review at the end of that contract was received,” explained the Army’s report, “Items noted as missing would show on the U.S. Army database as still being physically present in Southwest Asia.”
Information received Wednesday from two different sources prompted officers to set up video surveillance. Those cameras recorded Biggs moving several plastic bags and a black backpack from his personal vehicle to a government vehicle.
Among the equipment found in Biggs’ truck were thermal imagers, lasers and scope mounts. The report also says he had removed M16A1 fully automatic rifles modified with adjustable stocks, converted to accept sound suppressors from the base.
As law enforcement closed in on Biggs Wednesday evening he sent a hurried text message from his smartphone to an unnamed party consisting of a several obscenities followed by, ‘The cops are coming!’
Biggs appeared in Federal Court on Friday and was then released under court supervision on a $50,000 bond.
According to the Sacramento Bee a preliminary examination was originally scheduled for April 26th, but once a federal grand jury indictment is lodged, that examination will be converted to an arraignment, at which point Biggs will enter a plea.