Deputy Guilty of Stealing Shuttle Debris

LUFKIN, Texas (AP) – A former sheriff’s deputy who helped gather debris from the space shuttle Columbia pleaded guilty Friday to stealing pieces of the wreckage.

Jeffrey D. Arriola, 35, took two small pieces of a wiring harness connector from the shuttle, which broke apart over east Texas on Feb. 1, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

He could be sentenced to up to a year in prison and fined $100,000.

Prosecutor Matthew D. Orwig said Arriola, who has resigned as a San Augustine County deputy, failed to show the “high degree of professionalism and integrity” expected of those sworn to uphold the law.

Last week, another law enforcement officer was acquitted of similar charges in the first and only such case to go to trial so far. East Texas constable Robert Hagan II said he forgot to turn the debris over to authorities and did not intend to steal it.