[Peace] Soldier sentenced to 30 days to protect Americans from "gang-bangers"

[Brian Dolinar]

 [image: The News-Gazette.com] Soldier who tried to sell weapons, equipment
sentenced By Paul Wood
<http://www.news-gazette.com/news/reporter/pwood/> Thursday
September 6, 2007

URBANA – A National Guard soldier and Iraq veteran who tried to sell $37,000
worth of weapons to informants will spend 30 days in prison.

Staff Sgt. Lee Shobe of Toledo in southern Illinois is a member of the
Urbana National Guard unit, though as a convicted federal felon he will no
longer be allowed to have a weapon or ammunition, effectively ending his
career in the military, said prosecutor Colin Bruce, an assistant U.S.
Attorney.

Judge Michael McCuskey also sentenced him to five months' home detention
with an ankle monitor and two years of supervised probation.

Shobe, 28, pleaded guilty to stealing rifle parts, body armor and
night-vision equipment and offering them to what turned out to be a
government witness.

He initially faced up to 10 years in prison, but McCuskey said he agreed
with the government's recommendation, considering Shobe's good record in the
military and the fact that he cooperated with authorities.

Nevertheless, he said, a prison sentence was necessary to make sure others
did not copy Shobe's actions. McCuskey said the prosecution had made the
point that Shobe didn't care who bought the Army materials, adding it could
be used "by gang-bangers against American citizens."

He ordered Shobe to turn himself in to federal authorities on Oct. 5.

Family members said Shobe was deeply affected by the stress of his service
in Iraq.

McCuskey said the soldier had shown "an extreme lack of judgment, not just
on one day, but over a period of time" that constituted "a big stain on what
was otherwise a wonderful career in the military."

The judge told Shobe that for "easy money, he had betrayed his country and
betrayed his unit" in the National Guard.

Shobe told prosecutors that in September 2006, he met with a government
informant and offered the military equipment. Over the course of several
weeks, he sold $37,000 worth of equipment from an armory in Sullivan. He was
arrested there on Jan. 12 and pled guilty in May.

The same month, FBI agents also arrested another member of the Urbana
Illinois Guard unit, Christopher Henkel of Decatur, for trying to sell
equipment on eBay. Henkel faces sentencing in October.

A spokeswoman for the Illinois National Guard said both men are still in the
guard.
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-- 
Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
303 W. Locust St.
Urbana, IL 61801
briandolinar at gmail.com
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