Man Arrested for Steeling
Radioactive Testing Device

November 3, 2004 -

Law enforcement authorities in Chatham, Georgia, have arrested a 34-year-old man on charges that he stole a device containing radioactive material from a pickup truck parked outside a Norfolk, Virginia Wal-Mart last month.

The device was taken from a truck owned by Newport News-based Foundation Engineering Science Inc. Norfolk police obtained warrants charging Richard Danes, formerly of Virginia Beach, with grand larceny, larceny with intent to sell and conspiracy to commit a felony.

The instrument, a portable moisture-density gauge, could pose a radiation threat if handled improperly, says The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Foundation Engineering Science, specializes in geotechnical engineering, environmental management, construction inspection and design and material testing services. The company told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that one of its employees lost a portable moisture-density gauge that had been checked out for use at a Norfolk work site.

The worker said the device was stolen from his company pickup truck while he was shopping at the Wal-Mart on Monday, October 18, the commission said. A company official, Raja El-Awar, said the worker didn't tell company officials it was stolen until a week after the theft happened. The employee was fired for handling the matter inappropriately.

The commission reported that Foundation Engineering Science Inc. has acknowledged the container was not locked or secured to the vehicle, which is required by commission regulations. Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan said the company might be fined.

Two individuals were seen on a security videotape taking the device and driving off in a blue car about 10 a.m. that day, the commission said. A police report was filed about the theft, the NRC said.

El-Awar, an engineer with Foundation Engineering Science, said the worker tied the gauge to the bed of a pickup truck but it wasn't locked as safety procedures require. El-Awar said the employee, like other workers at Foundation Engineering Science, was told "many times" to keep the device locked. "They take an eight-hour safety class and get certified," he said.

The Troxler Model 3430 nuclear gauge takes measurements by projecting the radiation from two radioactive sources into the ground. The device is made up of a shielding container with a handle on top that is used to extend and retract the sources from the shielded position.

As long as the sources are in the shielded position, the gauge isn't hazardous, Sheehan said. But if the sources are tampered with, they could expose the person to radiation. Handling the unshielded sources outside the container could carry a risk of potentially dangerous radiation exposure.

The containers are difficult to open and a person would need to be in close contact with one to be at risk of radiation, Sheehan said.

Norfolk police are planning to extradite Danes to the area to face trial, said Norfolk police spokesman Chris Amos. Local authorities are also hoping to identify a second suspect in the theft, Amos said.

The gauge, worth thousands of dollars, was sold to a Norfolk pawnshop for $30. The pawnshop owner contacted federal authorities when he learned the device had been stolen and could be dangerous if mishandled.

About 300 nuclear devices, including several similar to the gauge taken, are stolen in the United States every year. About half are recovered, Sheehan said.