Former Army contractor convicted of stealing $1.1M in MRE military rations from Fort Bliss
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images
EL PASO, Texas - A federal jury has convicted a former U.S. Army civilian contractor of stealing more than $1.1 million worth of military rations from Fort Bliss, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Million-dollar rations theft
Joseph Lavar Davis, 47, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and a substantive count of theft of government property. The charges stem from a scheme to siphon away more than 200 pallets of Meals, Ready-to-Eat, commonly known as MREs, between February and August 2020.
Davis, a retired soldier who previously worked in military food service supply, used his insider knowledge of the requisition system after transition to a civilian contractor role to exploit the process, according to evidence presented at trial.
What they're saying:
"Joseph Davis betrayed the very country he once swore to protect in an effort to satisfy his own selfish ambition," Justin R. Simmons, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, said in a statement.
The backstory:
Federal prosecutors said Davis forged paperwork to authorize the release of the rations from Fort Bliss, rented trucks to transport them, and coordinated a network of co-conspirators to pick up, deliver, and resell the goods online. Davis negotiated the sales prices and directly received the illicit payments.
The conspiracy unraveled on Aug. 12, 2020, when agents from the FBI and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division raided a civilian warehouse in El Paso. There, authorities discovered about 100 pallets of stolen MREs. Investigations revealed the warehouse operator was purchasing the rations from Davis's network.
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Davis was indicted alongside three co-defendants in February 2025. According to court records, the operation relied on an interconnected chain: Davis utilizing his contractor credentials to secure the food, a soldier assisting in the physical transport from the base, an intermediary negotiator, and a civilian online reseller.
Jarod Brown, special agent in charge of the FBI's El Paso Field Office, said the conviction underscores a joint commitment to protecting government property. "We will continue to combat these issues through strong partnerships," Brown said.
What's next:
Davis faces sentencing at a later date.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas.