Man Charged With Stealing Flash-Bang Grenades, Ballistic Vest From FBI Vehicle, Trading Them For Drugs

SAN FRANCISCO - A man has been charged with breaking into an FBI vehicle and stealing thousands of dollars worth of equipment, including flash-bang grenades and a ballistic vest, which he later traded for drugs.

Gregory Acosta Alvarez was charged with theft of government property on August 9.

"...[the] government-issued Ford 150 truck...had been broken into. Missing...were more than a dozen pieces of equipment, including multiple types of saws, a torch kit, a gas deployment gun, a ballistic vest and plates with FBI markings, flash-bang grenades, and a defibrillator."

Surveillance footage showed Acosta Alvarez committing the burglary and riding to a nearby hotel with the stolen goods. He was arrested shortly after.

A search of his hotel room revealed the bicycle used in the burglary and several stolen items, including flash-bang grenades and a defibrillator. The ballistic vest and gas gun, however, were missing, later admitted by Acosta Alvarez to have been traded for $20 of crystal meth.

[Acosta Alvarez is charged and awaiting trial in SF County Jail without bail. [Max Hauptman, USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/10/san-francisco-man-charged-stealing-flash-bangs-ballistic-vest-from-fbi/12441870002/))