FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SFA Student Arrested by FBI
Bradley Justin Gaudet, 22, a student at Stephen F. Austin State University, was arrested Wednesday, on charges of theft of government property after allegedly taking debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia. Gaudet is charged with taking thermal barrier inner fabric from a wreckage site Saturday. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison and fined up to $250,000. According to university officials, the material was not removed from debris on the university campus. “The recovery process this week has been our top priority, and we are doing everything in our power to assist local and federal authorities with everything from student volunteers to technical GIS analysis,” said Dr. Baker Pattillo, vice president for university affairs. “We do hope that the alleged actions of a few individuals do not tarnish the outpouring of volunteerism and patriotism demonstrated by our students and community.” The university will await adjudication of this case.
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