Midshipman Gets 15 Months for Stealing Spree

A U.S. Naval Academy midshipman was sentenced to 15 months of confinement yesterday after pleading guilty to more than two dozen instances of theft and conduct unbecoming an officer.

Julia Kaelberer, a fourth-year midshipman from Rialto, Calif., admitted stealing a class ring sample from a display in October 2007. Her thefts culminated in what her attorneys described as a stealing spree Dec. 6, 2008, when most of her classmates were in Philadelphia for the Army-Navy football game.

The stolen items included a BlackBerry, video game consoles, a class ring worth over $3,000, a "Go Navy, Beat Army" quilt, and gasoline, food and Starbucks travel mugs purchased with stolen credit cards.

Kaelberer, 23, also admitted lying to Navy investigators and to classmates who were trying to find out what happened to the stolen items.

"We were taught that midshipmen are persons of integrity," Kaelberer said in a tearful final statement. "They do not lie, cheat or steal. I broke that code."

Her lead attorney, Lt. Jentso Hwang, said Kaelberer broke under the stress of attending the academy. "This was a girl whose life was slowly spinning out of control," he said.

Lt. Cmdr. Pete Clemow, lead prosecutor, asserted that she had abused her classmates' trust and was "not fit to wear the uniform."

The military judge, Capt. Bruce MacKenzie, sentenced Kaelberer to 18 months of confinement and dismissed her from the Navy. The sentence was reduced to 15 months under a plea deal negotiated before the trial.

MacKenzie did not comment on the case but advised the Naval Academy superintendent to consider clemency toward Kaelberer.

Kaelberer and her family watched the final moments of the court-martial quietly. She hugged her relatives and was led back to the brig.