Ex-Marine stole helicopter-landing pads

An ex-Marine pleaded guilty in federal district court today to stealing nearly 60,000 pounds of aluminum helicopter-landing pads - yes, entire portable landing pads - when he was assigned to the Naval Air Station in Willow Grove.

Christopher M. Cook, 28, of Mesick, MI, is to be sentenced in May. He potentially faces two to three years in prison under advisory sentencing guidelines.

Prosecutors said that between August 2010 and February 2011 Cook took the 12-foot-long pads to a Huntingdon Valley scrap-metal dealer and received almost $51,000 for the metal.

The government's plea memo said Cook deposited at least $8,000 of the money into a personal credit union account.

Cook enlisted a friend and rented a U-Haul truck on 10 separate occasions to drive to the base and move the aluminum pads from the naval air base to Sullivan's Scrap Metals, the plea memo said.

The friend, identified in court papers only as "K.S.," was paid between $140 and $220 by Cook for his assistance.

At the time, Cook was assigned to a Marine Reserves aviation ground-support unit that was headquartered on the on the base.

The base was recommended for closure in 2005 and the last military aircraft departed in March 2011. The base was closed in September 20ll.