GREENBELT, Md. — A federal judge has agreed to postpone a trial for a Virginia National Guard soldier charged with stealing World War II-era dog tags from the National Archives and Records Administration in Maryland.

A trial was scheduled to start Wednesday for Robert Rumsby of Fredericksburg, Virginia, but his attorney asked for more time to prepare. Magistrate Judge Thomas DiGirolamo agreed Tuesday to move the trial date to Oct. 30.

Guardsman, accused of stealing WWII airmen’s dog tags from National Archives, says he was returning them to families
Guardsman, accused of stealing WWII airmen’s dog tags from National Archives, says he was returning them to families

A Virginia National Guard sergeant, accused of stealing World War II-era dog tags from the National Archives in Maryland, says he did it to return them to their families.

By: Michael Kunzelman, The Associated Press

A complaint says Rumsby told investigators he took dog tags that belonged to four U.S. airmen killed in plane crashes in 1944.

Rumsby’s wife is the great niece of one of those airmen. Rumsby said he gave that airman’s dog tags to his wife’s grandmother as a Christmas gift and gave another airman’s dog tags to a relative of that serviceman.