Navy Chief Petty Officer pleads guilty to stealing military equipment

NORFOLK, Va. - A Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy pled guilty today to theft of government property after stealing military equipment he later sold online.

According to court documents, Shawn Claude Crowell, 40, was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic at Naval Station Norfolk from December 2022 to September 2024. Crowell had access to and was responsible for the inspection and inventorying of the military equipment belonging to the Command.

From at least January through June 2023, Crowell stole numerous government items, including seven sets of Night Vision Goggles (NVGs, or NODs), two Matbock Tarsier Eclipse lenses, and eight NVG battery packs. The value of the items stolen by Crowell was at least $164,646.

Between February and May 2023, Crowell used online advertisements to sell five sets of the stolen NVGs to third-party purchasers for $19,947. On March 8, 2023, Crowell listed for sale the two Matbock Tarsier Eclipse lenses, which are regulated by the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Crowell sold the stolen lenses for $300. On April 1, 2023, Crowell sold the eight NVG battery packs for $500.

On May 10, 2023, investigators with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) interviewed Crowell and searched his vehicle. NCIS recovered one of the stolen sets of NVGs from the vehicle.

Crowell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mack Hickman, Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-113.