Man faces prison for stealing government laptops

Source: Federal News Radio

A former technology contractor was sentenced Monday to a year and a half in prison for stealing at least 83 government laptops from the federal office where he worked and selling them on Craig's List. Darryl Lyles, a 37-year-old from Capitol Heights, Md., also has to pay back more than $180,000 to compensate for the lost laptops, but prosecutors said the loss was even greater.

Because of Lyles' crime, the small contractor that he worked for _ RGB Technology Inc. of Herndon, Va. _ said it lost its contract with the Government Accountability Office and had to lay off 12 employees that worked on the account. Lyles told the court that many of those who lost jobs were his friends, and every day he thinks of how he let them down and disappointed his two children and the rest of his loved ones. "I'm still having a hard time looking them in the eye," Lyles said.

(snip)

Prosecutors asked that Lyles be sentenced to two years _ the maximum recommendation under their plea deal _ pointing out that the theft was from all taxpayers and that Lyles has twice tested positive for marijuana while awaiting sentencing. Lyles' attorney said his client stole the equipment because he was under financial pressure after his wife was sentenced to prison and left him as a single father to their son and daughter. He said he used the drugs because of the increased pressure of the case and because the court never specifically told him not to.




Read more: http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=27&sid=1667963

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Only 1.5 years???

Not that I think we should just let this guy go, but jeez

Shoulda thought of that before you stole equipment from the government, scumbag.

Really? huh.