A Killeen man has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for his role in a multimillion-dollar scheme that involved swiping military gear from Fort Cavazos and pawning it off, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Benjamin Alvarado Jr., age 32, faced justice in federal court in Waco, where he was handed a 120-month sentence after pleading to charges of theft of government property conspiracy, interstate transport of stolen property, two counts of money laundering, and one count of smuggling goods from the United States.
Alongside Alvarado, former soldiers Darius Alston, Justin Wallas, Gabriel Taylor, and Kynyqus Bryant were implicated in at least seven thefts of government property from the military installation. The Department of the Army Criminal Investigations Division uncovered the operation, which spanned from January 2017, seizing over 24,000 stolen items valued at roughly $2.75 million. Some of the hotspot findings included M-50 gas masks, Level III and IV body armor, and night vision device intensifiers sold through online platforms such as eBay, leading investigators to Alvarado, who was indicted in April 2022 after being caught on August 9, 2021.
Army CID's efforts culminated in the recuperation of weapons parts, Litefighter tents, and other miscellaneous sensitive property. Examining transactions, they discovered a joint chemical agent detector had been sold to a buyer in China. Cast in the role of perpetrator and merchant, court documents reveal that Alvarado admitted to acquiring 90% of the confiscated items from Bryant and Alston, who were assigned to the 553rd Combat Service Support Battalion.
In addition to his prison term, Alvarado's ill-gotten gains were forfeited including his residence, acquired via a cashier's check for $52,890.55, and a 2013 McLaren MP4, bought with a personal check of $50,000, which was acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office made clear "There are no sports cars and lavish lifestyles for Alvarado in prison." Alvarado's sentencing also included a restitution order for a staggering $2,367,780.12.
Alvarado's former comrades were meted out their sentences as well. Alston and Wallas each received a 30-month term in federal prison, while Taylor and Bryant were slapped with five years of probation, the latter also fined $2,000 on March 24. Collectively, they were ordered to repay $618,750 in restitution. Emphasizing the significance of the case, Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman stated, "Alvarado and his co-conspirators engaged in a massive scheme to steal, store and sell millions of dollars' worth of U.S. military equipment—not only taking advantage of our government but placing personal profit over national security and military readiness," as detailed in a statement provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The broad interagency investigation included the IRS-CI, DCIS, Army CID, the Department of State, and HSI, with assistance from the Killeen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton led the prosecution effort, sending a strong signal that the justice system remains vigilant in protecting the integrity of military resources and national security.
