More than $350,000 stolen from Navy cargo ship

More than $350,000 stolen from Navy cargo ship
The (Norfolk, Va.) Virginian-Pilot
By Scott Daugherty
Published: October 17, 2013

NORFOLK, Va. -- More than $350,000 was reported stolen earlier this year from a safe on a Navy supply ship, federal prosecutors said. And that wasn't even everything in the ship's safe.

There was supposed be more than $692,000, court records indicate.

Ismael Estrada, 65, the Arctic's former purser, was charged last week in U.S. District Court with felony theft of government money. After surrendering his passport Wednesday and agreeing to home electronic monitoring, he was released to the custody of his son.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher George and Assistant Federal Public Defender Richard Colgan, Estrada's defense attorney, declined to comment about the theft from the Arctic, a fast combat support ship tasked with delivering fuel, ammunition, food and cargo to other Navy ships.

According to court documents, the money in the safe was for the "operational use" of the Arctic and to pay the 170 civilian crew members who worked on the vessel.
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