Navy midshipman gets 15 months for thefts

A U.S. Naval Academy midshipman has been sentenced to 15 months of confinement and was dismissed from the Navy after pleading guilty to more than two dozen instances of theft.

Twenty-three-year-old Julia Kaelberer, a fourth-year midshipman from Rialto, Calif., pleaded guilty Tuesday to going on what her attorneys called a stealing spree in December while classmates were in Philadelphia for the Army-Navy football game. She also pleaded guilty to conduct unbecoming an officer.

The stolen items included a BlackBerry, video game consoles, a class ring worth more than $3,000 and a "Go Navy, Beat Army" quilt.

Her lead attorney says Kaelberer broke under the stress of attending the academy.

The military judge advised the Naval Academy superintendent to consider clemency.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com