Submarine Parts Theft

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A man accused of stealing counterattack parts worth $70,000 from a submarine to sell for scrap metal has been indicted in federal court in Norfolk.
    Frank E. Spaulding of Jamaica, in New York’s Queens borough, was charged with theft of public property and making false statements.
    Authorities said Spaulding took two steel domes from a pier at Norfolk Naval Station in December 2006, when the USS Hampton was being refurbished. The domes, weighing 230 pounds apiece, cover anti-torpedo units that confuse approaching enemy torpedoes.
    Court papers made public late Friday don’t say how Spaulding had access to the pier. He told Navy investigators that he found the parts next to a restaurant.
    The Hampton has since transferred from Norfolk to San Diego.