Ex-Army sergeant gets 40 months in surplus thefts

A retired Army soldier and his ex-wife were sentenced Thursday for their roles in selling surplus computers and uniforms he stole from Fort Sam Houston for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Retired Master Sgt. Francisco Javier de la Maza, 47, admitted in April that he forged the signature of a superior on a letter to trick personnel at an area formerly known as the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office at Fort Sam to release the items to him.

He pleaded guilty to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. Gabriela de la Maza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money. She helped him sell the uniforms.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia sentenced Francisco de la Maza to 40 months in prison and gave his wife five years of probation.

Court records said Francisco de La Maza began stealing in 2005 and dedicated more time to it after retiring in September 2009.

He admitted selling several computers while his then-wife sold the uniforms, and the pair used the money to buy five homes and other items and to pay credit card bills.

He estimated he was making $7,000 a month selling the items. The judge ordered about $863,000 in restitution.

gcontreras@express-news.net

Twitter: @gmaninfedland