United States v. Pacheco

Two questions are raised in this case. First, was the evidence legally sufficient to support appellant’s conviction for stealing a “Desert Eagle pistol,” which was “property of the Government of Haiti?” Second, was the evidence legally sufficient to support his conviction for dereliction of his duty to ensure “the security of military weapons of the Government of Haiti, in custody of U.S. forces?”

The evidence in this case showed that appellant retrieved a Desert Eagle pistol from a secured weapons bunker and gave it to another soldier, PVT Mangold. However, overwhelming evidence also…