Secret Service SUV burglarized
Vehicle is used as part of Trump protection detail
When a Palm Beach County man burglarized a souped-up SUV that belongs to the U.S. Secret Service in March, agents made it pretty easy for him: The vehicle was apparently left unlocked.
The intimidating appearance of the massive vehicle— which is part of President Donald Trump’s protection detail— didn’t discourage Cleveland Cooley Jr. from stealing computer tablets and other items thatwere left inside.
Investigators usually call such crimes “breaking and entering” but this was more of a simple “entering.”
Though the prosecution and defense declined to comment, several courthouse officials had a conversation prior to Cooley’s sentencing on Friday about howthe vehicle apparently was not damaged during the crime because itwas not locked.
The U.S. Secret Service has not responded to several requests for comment in the last month. Officials haven’t said whether the stolen devices contained any sensitive information that could have been accessed by thieves.
The unmarked lawenforcement vehicle was targeted in the parking lot of a Courtyard by Marriott hotel near Palm Beach International Airport on the night ofMarch19.
Cooley, 36, of Riviera Beach, pleaded guilty earlier this month to theft of government property. He admitted he and two friends, whowere not charged, stole more than $9,200worth of loot, including two tablet computers, a wireless modem, a first aid trauma kit and a camera tripod.
The vehicle is formally called a “Mobile Video Alarm Platform (MVAP) vehicle as--
signed to the Technical Security Division” and is used for surveillance linked to the president’s safety.
The equipment is used by agents and support staff whowork on protective operations, according to court records. President Trumpwas in Palm Beach County thatweekend and flew back toWashington, D.C., late that Sunday afternoon fromPalm Beach International Airport.
Cooley said he and the other two men stole items fromthree vehicles that were parked outside two neighboring hotels, just off Interstate 95 inWest Palm Beach, later that night.
He uploaded photos of one of the tablet computers for sale on the OfferUp website.
Investigators quickly discovered the listing and an undercover officer from theWest Palm Beach Police Department arranged to meet with Cooley to buy the computer.
Before the meeting, Cooley said he had two of the computers andwould sell them for $1,500.
He confessed after being arrested when he showed up to make the sale at a local store.
He has been locked up sinceMarch.
“I’m sorry aboutmy actions, I knowthat Iwas wrong,” Cooley toldU.S. District JudgeKenneth Marra during his sentencing Friday in federal court inWest Palm Beach.
Cooley, who has16 children, asked the judge to let him go home as soon as possible so he could take care of his family.
Prosecutors questioned his sincerity, noting that he is only financially supporting one of the children and is in arrears for that courtordered child support.
Cooley, who has been unemployed for years and has an extensive17-year history of arrests for nonviolent offenses, also asked to be released fromjail so he could undergo thyroid surgery before serving the rest of his punishment.
Hewas facing a recommended sentence of six to 12 months in federal prison.
Marra sentenced him to 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The judge rejected his request for temporary release, saying he could receive the needed medical treatment in prison.
Prosecutors told the judge that the stolen items were eventually returned to the Secret Service and all of the property involved was undamaged so Cooley owes no restitution to the government.