Va contractor indicted in generator thefts in Iraq

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A civilian contractor has been indicted on charges of stealing two electric generators from a U.S. military base in Iraq and making false statements.

Federal prosecutors say 35-year-old Reuben Thomas of Richmond was indicted Thursday.

Thomas was employed by Honeywell Technologies Solutions at the Camp Victory Base Complex in Baghdad.

The indictment accuses Thomas of stealing the generators, valued at $176,000 apiece, in June 2009. He's also accused of lying to the FBI when asked whether he had sought permission to borrow a container handler used to lift the generators onto two flatbed trucks.

The charges carry a total of up to 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine upon conviction.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Thomas has an attorney.