March 28, 2008

RESERVE NAVAL LIEUTENANT COMMANDER AND CHAPLAIN INDICTED ON CHARGES OF STEALING PAY AND ALLOWANCES

A Reserve Naval lieutenant commander and chaplain with the United States Navy has been indicted on nine counts of theft of government funds for allegedly receiving approximately $172,229 in unearned pay and allowances from the Navy.

Rudolph Charles Dimery, 50, of Pasadena, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. Dimery began active-duty service in the United States Navy in June 1987, and completed his first active-duty service in August 1990. Over the next 12 years, Dimery was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander and alternated between stints of active-duty service and being an inactive-duty reservist. He is currently inactive.

From June 2002 until March 2003, Dimery served on active-duty assignments as a chaplain at Camp Pendleton. The indictment alleges that after Dimery concluded his active-duty assignments in March 2003, he continued to receive and spend active-duty pay, basic allowance for housing, and basic allowance for subsistence until March 2005, knowing that he was not entitled to that money once his active-duty obligation concluded. In total, from April 2003 until March 2005, Dimery received approximately $172,229 in unearned income.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Dimery is expected to make his initial court appearance in United States District Court in Los Angeles in April.

Each of the nine counts contained in the indictment carry a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

The federal investigation of Dimery was conducted by the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

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For more information on federal criminal defense law, contact the Law Offices of Joseph Shemaria of Los Angeles, California.