NCO sentenced for larceny, bomb threat

  • Published
  • By 1st. Lt. Tobias
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LAJES FIELD, Azores --  A non-commissioned officer pleaded guilty to several violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice April 28 and was sentenced th next day to 24 months confinement, a bad conduct discharge and a reduction in rank to airman. 

Staff Sgt. Arthur Miller, 65th Logistics Readiness Squadron, who has over 14 years of service in the Navy and Air Force, was charged with one specification of article 121, larceny, and four specifications of article 134, two of which were for obstruction of justice by communicating a threat, one for a bomb hoax and one for a bomb threat. 

On December 18, 2007, then-Sergeant Miller, under an alias, made a bomb threat to building T-216, which caused panic and fear as that building, the Department of Defense Dependent School and the Child Development Center had to be evacuated. It turned out to be a hoax. 

Almost a month and a half later, he made an even bolder threat to place a bomb in buildings T-100, T-216, T-815 and the base gym. 

The threat was also false.

The reason for these actions, according to then-Sergeant Miller, was to try to stop an investigation into a larceny he committed over the weekend of Dec. 7, 2007, when he stole approximately $150 from the vehicle management flight's snack fund. 

"I am sorry," he said during an unsworn statement to the judge. "I regret what I did. I am still not 100 percent sure why I did it." 

During the unsworn statement he concluded that he stole the money in an attempt to get back at his supervisor, Master Sgt. David Guthrie, because he felt Sergeant Guthrie "had it in for him" and he felt bullied by the senior NCO. 

"I felt that taking the money from the snack fund would reflect poorly on Master Sgt. Guthrie," he said. 

According to Senior Master Sgt. Don Goynes, 65th LRS vehicle operations flight chief, Sergeant Guthrie's leadership style was mission-focused and he expected people to do the right thing. For Sergeant Guthrie, it was mission first and when he needed to correct someone he did not care if people's feelings were hurt, said Sergeant Goynes.

However, his leadership style did get positive results and was appropriate and effective, said Sergeant Goynes. 

When the money was discovered missing, Sergeant Goynes held a flight meeting to explain money was missing from the snack fund and offered an opportunity for whoever took the money to return it anonymously. If the money was returned the whole issue would be dropped. However when the money was not returned, it prompted an investigation by the 65th Security Forces Squadron. 

As the investigation was closing in on Sergeant Miller, he sent a letter and emails, under aliases, to Sergeant Guthrie and others in the flight threatening violence if the investigation did not stop. 

"I was embarrassed and ashamed about what I had done," said Sergeant Miller, "so I lied about what I did." 

Even after he confessed to Security Forces investigators, Sergeant Miller sent another email under one of his aliases to his first sergeant, stating to thank Sergeant Miller for confessing and allowing the fictitious thief and his brothers to get away with the theft. 

"This is a case of a depraved heart," said Capt. Keira Poellet, 65th Air Base Wing Legal Office. 

She added at the end of her argument in the trial, almost as a warning for others to learn from the bad example of now-Airman Miller, "For the choices you make and the actions you take, there are consequences."