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Soldier who sold M-16 gets jail time
Military court sentences reserve soldier who stole rifle, sold it to civilians to 40 months in prison
A reserve soldier who stole a rifle and sold it to a civilian for 1,500 euros was sentenced Sunday to 40 months in prison by the Haifa military court.
The crime dates back to July 2009. The soldier, a sergeant-major, removed his friend's M-16 rifle from the military post at which he was serving and drove it to a nearby spot, where he handed it to a civilian with whom he had coordinated the sale.
Upon returning to the base he joined his friends in searching for the lost weapon. Later he admitted during questioning that he had been behind its disappearance. The rifle has not yet been found.
During his trial the soldier expressed regret for his crime, and was sent to prison for 40 months as stipulated by the plea bargain he signed. He also handed the money gained from the sale over to the court.
"His deeds damaged the measure of confidence that must be placed in soldiers serving in the IDF, including reserve soldiers," the judges wrote in their verdict. "This is someone who took advantage of his proximity to military arms in order to transfer them to someone over whom the army has no control."
