Stolen secret files 'accounted for'

By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Classified military secrets stolen from the trunk of a car parked at Waimea Bay last month have been "accounted for," but officials from the U.S. Pacific Command at Camp Smith would not elaborate any further yesterday.

"We are satisfied that all the missing material has been accounted for," said Navy Capt. John Singley, a spokesman for Pacific Command. "I can't go beyond that."

Singley would not say when the missing files were accounted for or if any of them had been recovered.

FBI agents, military investigators and the Honolulu Police Department had been trying to locate the files — which were stored on computer discs — since they were stolen from a car on June 14.

The car was being used by four Hawai'i-based military officers from the Army and Air Force who had stopped at Waimea Bay to swim.

"Obviously, a military investigation is continuing to look into the circumstances surrounding the handling of this material," Singley said. "Possible disciplinary action could result, depending on what the investigation finds out."

FBI spokesman Kevin Rickett would not comment on the progress of the agency's part of the investigation.

"I can confirm that it is ours, and it is ongoing," he said.