Retired agent enters plea in badge sales case

By Jose Luis Jiménez, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 5:53 p.m.

SAN DIEGO — A retired Border Patrol agent accused of selling authentic equipment from the federal agency to undercover FBI agents was arraigned in San Diego federal court Wednesday.

Carl David Pietrantonio, 52, of Bellingham, Wash., pleaded not guilty to a charge of unlawful sale of an official badge or insignia of the United States, federal officials said.

Pietrantonio is accused of posting for sale on the Craigslist Tijuana Web site a Border Patrol “Firearms Instructorâ€