Colchester aerospace tool theft resolved with suspended sentence
A man who stole specialized tools valued at more than $100,000 while working for a Colchester manufacturer has received a suspended prison sentence, five years of probation and an order to repay his former employer.
Christopher Moore, 43, of 123 Alger Road, East Haddam, previously had pleaded guilty in New London Superior Court to second-degree larceny. He was sentenced Thursday in New London Superior Court after thanking court officials for giving him a chance.
According to court documents, Moore's crime was driven by mental health issues and an addiction to pain pills. He continues to receive treatment through a partial hospitalization program and has remained drug and alcohol free since his arrest, according to his attorney, Public Defender Kevin C. Barrs.
Moore had worked as a machinist for Alpha Q. Inc., a manufacturer of precision components for the Aerospace industry on Upton Road in Colchester. He was terminated in November 2014 for tardiness, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
In December 2014, Colchester Police began investigating after the company reported numerous carbide drills and accessories missing from the company's tool crib. The police learned that he had sold tools weighing 1,118 lbs. to Calamari Recycling in Essex, visiting the facility on 17 occasions between October and December 2014 and receiving $8,057 in scrap value for the products.
Confronted by police, Moore admitted he had stolen the items from the tool crib and sold them to Calamari to support his pain pill habit.
"This is a case where clearly, despite the mental health issues, Mr. Moore knew what he was doing was wrong," prosecutor Lawrence J. Tytla said.
The company claimed $191,000 in losses and was reimbursed $100,000 by the Travelers Insurance Co., according to Barrs. Some of the stolen tools were recovered. While damaged, they still had scrap value, Barrs said. The company was willing to accept $60,000 in restitution from Moore.
Judge Hillary B. Strackbein ordered Moore, who recently has started a new job, to make monthly restitution payments in an amount determined by the Department of Adult Probation to be appropriate. She said that if he has not repaid the $60,000 by the end of his probation period, the restitution order could be converted to a civil judgment that could be extended to 10 years.
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