Ethics Corner

Editor’s note: This is one in a series of articles provided by the Staff Judge Advocate.

This series on ethics presents cautionary examples drawn from the DoD Standards of Conduct Office Encyclopedia of Ethical Failures. If you have questions about ethics or are unsure about a certain course of conduct, contact the NASCC Staff Judge Advocate’s office by calling 361-961-3535.

Today’s story is about the perils of picking up “abandoned” government property:

A government contractor stole eight 40-foot Container Express (CONEX) shipping/storage units valued at $56,000 from a Service base in the United States. Investigators found two stolen government license plates on the contractor’s personal vehicles, used to access the base. The contractor claimed he thought the CONEX units were abandoned. He was charged with grand larceny and debarred from doing business with the government.