Todays (3/4/97) article:
Fort McCoy thefts began as hunt for parts, court told
By Kevin Murphy
Special to the Journal Sentinel
March 4, 1997
Madison -- What ended up as the largest heist of vehicles ever from a U.S.
military base began as a Hudson man's quest for a few spare parts from
Sherman tanks rusting on the firing range of Fort McCoy, a federal prosector
said Monday.
Leo A. Piatz Jr., 37, had visited the base before asking civilian employees
about acquiring parts for surplus military equipment, Assistant U.S. Attorney
Daniel Bach told jurors at the opening of Piatz's trial for bribery and
conspiracy to steal $13 million in government property.Authorities contend
that Piatz, owner of Tony's Military Surplus in western Wisconsin, was the
ringleader of an operation that included six other men.Piatz told civilian
employees Donald Crandall and Dennis Lambert that he was restoring a World
War II Sherman tank for the Center for Military History and said the remains
of tanks left on the base's firing range could be used for spare parts,
according to prosecutors. Crandall, 38, of Sparta, was under orders to remove
the damaged equipment from the 5,000-acre range
because of environmental concerns and gave Piatz access to the equipment in
September 1994 after negotiating a $30,000 bribe from Piatz, Bach said.Once
on the base, Piatz realized it was a gold mine of surplus military equipment
he could sell to collectors he knew of around the country, Bach said. Piatz
later published a catalog that listed many of the stolen items.Crandall and
Lambert, 52, of Black River Falls, who was range maintenance supervisor at
Fort McCoy, soon arranged for Piatz to haul off dozens of Jeeps and armored
personnel carriers, including some that had been converted to missile
launchers, Bach said.Between late 1994 and July 1995, Piatz allegedly took
about 150 vehicles -- including a track-mounted howitzer, a Vietnam-era
Sheridan tank and two runway-clearing snow blowers he sold for $53,000
each.Piatz knew a lot of paperwork was associated with moving and possessing
military equipment, and he asked Crandall to devise some documentation he
could show authorities if he was ever stopped, Bach said.Bach said
authorities were tipped off in 1995 about the equipment Piatz was stealing
from the 65,000-acre base, located between Tomah and Sparta, and undercover
agents from the Defense Department and FBI were assigned to buy Fort McCoy
equipment from him.In his opening arguments Monday, Piatz's attorney said his
client was only trying to help clean up equipment that had been used as
targets for artillery practice. Since the base had no budget for the
removal of the equipment that leaked oil and antifreeze on the range,
Crandall agreed to let Piatz have some obsolete equipment in exchange for his
efforts.The money Piatz paid Crandall was not a bribe because it was not
intended to corrupt a government official but was given instead to help clean
the range, said Piatz's attorney, Steven Pihlaja.
Piatz is being tried in U.S. District Court on 11 counts that together carry
a maximum penalty of 125 years in prison and $2.75 million in fines. The
trial is expected to last two weeks. Crandall, who pleaded guilty last month
to converting government property for his personnel use, is scheduled to
testify today. Lambert and the four other defendants are due to stand trial
in June. Also indicted in the alleged scam were:
Grant Kruger, 43, of Maplewood, Minn., president of the Military Arms and
Vehicles Museum of
Minnesota. Officials charge that he advertised and sold the stolen property.
David Butler, 44, of Fairfield, Iowa, owner of Vintage Power Wagons Co. and
co-owner with Piatz of the
former Nike missile site where some of the equipment was stored.
Loyd Pilgrim, 37, of Amery, owner of Ladd Auto Crushing, who is accused of
helping transport the
equipment.
George Pretty, 58, of Sturgis, Mich., owner of Surplus Enterprises Co., who
is accused of buying and
selling the stolen vehicles.