4 people arrested after military equipment stolen in Auburn, Syracuse – Finger Lakes Daily News

After months of investigations into the theft and resale of state-owned military equipment, four people are on trial.

According to state police, the investigation began in June when they were notified by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division that James Waleski, a Department of Defense civilian employed with the Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing in Syracuse, was selling military equipment on Facebook Marketplace that was not available to the general public.

Search warrants were executed on the 50-year-old’s Jamesville home, as well as his phone and computer. The search warrants resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of dollars worth of military equipment stolen from the Army’s 174th and 272nd Military Police Detachments in Auburn and the Army National Guard’s 27th Infantry Brigade in Syracuse.

Further investigation revealed that Waleski had stolen the equipment and sold it online and in person. Officials were able to recover equipment in Texas, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida and locally in Taberg and Flushing, New York. In one case, a bulletproof vest was recovered that was to be shipped to Russia.

Gordon Reynolds, 44, a military policeman with the 272nd in Auburn, and Joriann Garcia-Hernandez, 38, a unit specialist with Company D, Engineer Battalion, 152nd Brigade in Syracuse, are also accused of theft and charged accordingly.

In addition, an illegal rifle was seized during the search of Waleski’s residence. According to investigators, the weapon did not originate from Waleski’s employment as a federal employee.

Waleski was charged with 10 counts of illegal possession of a firearm (high capacity magazines) and one count each of grand larceny and illegal possession of a firearm (assault weapon). All three offenses are felonies. He was also charged with illegal sale of body armor.

Gordon Reynolds of Chittenango was charged with criminal possession of stolen property and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

Garcia-Hernandez, of Rome, was charged with petty theft.

In addition, 40-year-old Jennifer Waleski was charged with criminal possession of a weapon – assault weapon.

The investigation was led by the State Police Community Stabilization Unit and assisted by the Violent Gangs & Narcotics Team, Counter Terrorism & Intelligence Unit, FBI, Maddison County District Attorney’s Office, Army Criminal Investigations Division, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the command staff of the 174th, 272nd, and 27th Regiments.

Police are asking anyone with information related to the investigation or who purchased equipment from Waleski to call Investigator Carl Schneider at 315-366-6000.

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