State Police Arrest Four for Selling Stolen Military Equipment

The New York State Police have arrested four individuals on serious charges. It is alleged by police that the suspects stole a large quantity of military equipment from two locations in Upstate New York and attempted to sell them.

The investigation was led by the Community Stabilization Unit and began in June when the authorities were notified of a suspicious Facebook Marketplace account that had been opened by 50-year-old James Waleski of Jamesville, NY. Waleski was a civilian federal Department of Defense employee at the 174th Air National Guard Attack Wing in Syracuse, NY. The alarming part about the Facebook Marketplace account was what was being offered for sale on it, according to police.

State Police investigators say the items Waleski was allegedly trying to sell was military-grade equipment and weaponry not available to the public. Based on the items on the Facebook listing police say,

Search warrants were executed on Waleski’s residence, phone, and computer which resulted in the recovery of tens of thousands of dollars of military equipment that had been stolen from the 174th, the 272^nd Army Military Police Detachment in Auburn, NY, and the Army National Guard 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Syracuse, NY.

State Police say their investigation also discovered that this had been a huge operation that saw thousands of dollars worth of stolen military equipment sold to individuals in Texas, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, and locally from Taberg, NY and Flushing, NY. One ballistic vest was even being re-shipped to Russia.

The investigation by police also revealed others who were engaging in the theft of military equipment. The following individuals were arrested and facing charges.

James E. Waleski of Jamesville, NY

Grand Larceny 2^nd degree (C-felony)
(10 Counts) Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3^rd degree - high-capacity magazines (D-Felony)
Criminal Possession of Weapon 3^rd degree - Assault Weapon (D-Felony)
Unlawful Sale of Body Armor(A-Misdemeanor)

Jennifer Waleski of Jamesville, NY

Criminal Possession of Weapon 3^rd degree - Assault Weapon (D-Felony)

Gordon D. Reynolds of Chittenango, NY

Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 4^th degree (E-Felony)
Criminal Possession of Weapon 3^rd degree - Assault Weapon (D- Felony)
Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3^rd degree - High-Capacity Magazine (D-Felony)

Joriann Garcia-Hernandez of Rome, NY

Petit Larceny (A-Misdemeanor)

The investigation was assisted by the following agencies:

State Police Violent Gangs & Narcotics Enforcement Team
State Police Counter Terrorism & Intelligence Unit
Federal Bureau of Investigation – Syracuse Office
Madison County District Attorney’s Office
Army Criminal Investigations Division
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Command Staff at the 174^th, the 272^nd, and the 27^th.

Anyone with information pertinent to this investigation or anyone who has purchased military equipment from James Waleski is asked to call Investigator Carl Schneider at State Police Headquarters (315) 366-6000.

13 Of New York State's Most Wanted Criminals- March 2025

Below are individuals wanted by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's (DOCCS) Office of Special Investigations who have been designated as its Most Wanted Fugitives. They should be considered armed and dangerous. This list is current as of 3/01/2025:

NEVER attempt to apprehend a fugitive yourself. If you have information on the location of any of these fugitives, you can contact OSI 24 hours a day / 7 days a week to report it. All leads and tips are treated as confidential information.

If an immediate response is necessary, such as you see the wanted person at a location, please call “911” and report it to the police.

Gallery Credit: Dave Wheeler