Tag: GI Crime

1967 is when the first US-South Korea Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was signed which handed over legal jurisdiction of crimes committed by US troops while off duty to the Korean authorities.  The most serious case that was first tried in a Korean court involving a US servicemember was the 1967 murder of Chun-ja Kim by Private Eugene D. Taylor.  Taylor was a cook assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry DIvision.  Taylor was just days away from completing his tour of duty in Korea when he arrested for the murder of his Korean girlfriend on November 5, 1967.

From the November 27, 1967 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

Before redeploying to the US, Pvt. Taylor decided to go on a drunken bender at his girlfriend’s residence.  For some reason during his drunken bender he decided to strangle and kill his Korean girlfriend, Chun-ja Kim that he supposedly had plans to return to Korea to marry.  He committed this murder two days before redeploying to the US.  This just shows that even back in the 1960’s soldiers at high risk of getting in trouble are those within 30 days of going home.  It also shows that the old Korean complaint of GIs committing crimes in Korea and then getting away with them by flying back to the US was also not true back then.

From the February 8, 1968 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

The landlord of the home that Ms. Kim lived at discovered the body in the morning along with Taylor bleeding with a neck wound.  He claims that when he woke up and discovered Kim’s dead body that he tried to commit suicide by slashing his neck with a piece of broken glass.  It appears he was drunk enough to kill someone else, but not drunk enough to kill himself.

From the March 7, 1968 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

Ultimately Pvt Taylor was convicted of the murder of Ms. Kim and sentenced to 8 years in a Korean prison.  It seems like a pretty lenient sentence, but the Korean court took into consideration the mitigating circumstances of him being a soldier deployed to defend Korea and the fact he was drunk.  So being drunk back in the 60’s was considered a mitigating circumstance just like it is today in Korean courts.

From the April 11, 1968 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

Taylor’s crime is now long forgotten in the dustbins of USFK history, but he does have the dubious distinction of being the first American servicemember convicted and sentenced for murder in a South Korean court.  This case shows that US servicemembers were held accountable for the crimes in Korean courts back then and continue to be held accountable today.

Note: You can read more GI Flashbacks articles by clicking on the below link: 

Introduction

There has been many murder cases involving USFK servicemembers over the years, however there probably not one that was more gruesome than the murder committed by West Virginia native Private Kenneth L. Markle. Markle was a 20 year old medic assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division when he was arrested for murdering a Korean prostitute named Kum-i Yun in the Dongducheon ville outside of Camp Casey on October 28, 1992.  Ms. Yun’s dead body was discovered beaten with an umbrella in her anus, a coke bottle in her vagina, and laundry detergent spread all over her.

The Poory Chop Store building was where the gruesome crime scene was located.

Private Markle was arrested two days after the crime when an employee that worked at the Crown Club that Markle left Ms. Yun with, recognized him.

Article from the November 23, 1992 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

The Trial

After Markle was arrested for the crime he claimed that he hit Ms. Yun four times over the head with a bottle after she attacked him.  During the trial he said that she was alive when he left the room because he heard her groaning.  However, Markle was proven to have lied about whether she was alive or not when Special Agent Willie Evans who was the chief polygraph examiner for the Army Criminal Investigation Division testified that Markle told him during a pre-polygraph questioning period that Ms. Yun was dead when he left the room.

Picture of the victim, Kum-i Yun.

Evans further testified that Markle told him that he was sure she was dead because he was a trained medic and checked her pulse.  Evans further testified that Markle felt sorry about what happened, but that she attacked him first and that she “had an ass-whipping coming”.  Evans said that after Markle realized that he killed her that he sat in a corner and cried.  Evans then concluded his testimony by saying Markle also failed his polygraph test. The parts he failed were in regards to whether he had sex with her, put the Coke bottle in her vagina, the umbrella in her anus, and spread the detergent on her.

Article from the March 26, 1993 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

Instead of simply denying he killed Ms. Yun, Markle during the trial tried to pin the blame on another soldier Specialist Jason Lambert.

Lambert was 22 years old and also assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division.  Markle claimed that he got into a fight that night with Lambert when he was trying to be a good Samaritan and help a drunken Ms. Yun he saw on the street back to her room.  Markle claims that Lambert confronted him because Yun was his girlfriend and wanted to take her back to the room.  Markle says he told Lambert that he would take her back and not Lambert.  When Markle got Ms Yun into her room that is when she supposedly attacked him leading to him defending himself.  Markle then claimed that when he came out he saw Lambert and he told him that he was going to go inside to have sex with Ms. Yun.  Markle concluded his testimony by claiming Lambert then went inside the room. Markle also claimed that Lambert made a statement to investigators that he admitted going into the room 10 minutes after Markle left.  Markle also claimed that Lambert was bragging to friends about the murder scene.  Finally Markle has claimed that semen found inside of Ms. Yun was from a different blood type, not his.  I have seen no evidence to support any of Markle’s claims about Lambert.

What Markle’s defense comes down to is that he bashed Ms. Yun with the bottle as an act of self defense and left her unconscious while Lambert went in and killed her to get back at Markle for a confrontation that supposedly happened earlier that night.  This whole scenario is contradicted by the CID special agent’s testimony.  Also Lambert denied Markle’s claims about what happened.  Lambert testified that he went to Ms. Yun’s room three times while Markle was inside and heard sounds that indicated they were having sex.  He said he left before Markle came out.

Also of note is that during the trial the Korean Hankyoreh reported that Markle was a barracks thief and troublemaker in days before the incident happened:

First Leutenant John Glin who used the same room with Markle testified Markle’s habit of theft in court. Markle’s nickname was ‘barrack shoes’; he got this nickname when his colleagues’ things were found in his locker. Markle was disciplined for fighting his ranking officers; he was to mow the lawn in a rainy day. Markle, with a knife in his hand, said he would commit a suicide. In the next day of the crime, Markle told first leutenant Glin “If someone knows what I did on Tuesday, he will not be able to see me forever.”

On April 14, 1993 Private Markle was ultimately convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison, but his sentence would later be reduced by the Korean court to 15 years.

Article from the April 15, 1993 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

Of interest though was that during the conviction the Seoul District Court Judge Byon Dong-gul stated the testimony by Specialist Lambert was inconsistent and that he may have lied.

Article from the April 16, 1993 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

I have found nothing in the media discussing what Lambert may have lied about.  However, unconfirmed speculation that I have heard is that Lambert made claims about not being in an altercation with Ms. Yun the night prior though witnesses confirm that he did have an altercation with her.  Once again this is unconfirmed speculation, but it would be interesting to know what the Korean court thought Lambert lied about during the trial.  After the trial Specialist Jason Lambert returned to the United States and was discharged from the Army.

Article from the November 27, 1993 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

Also of note is that the after the conviction in August of 1993 USFK paid Ms. Yun’s family $93,889 in compensation money.

The Anti-US Movement

There had been other GI murderers before Markle, but nothing as gruesome as this had ever happened before.  Besides the gruesome nature of the crime the anti-US movement in South Korea was gaining momentum as South Korea was exiting its military ruler years and entering into an era of democracy. This era of democracy allowed long suppressed voices within the nation to express their anti-US point of view.  The anti-US activist who would not normally care about a prostitute like Ms. Yun were more than happy to exploit her death to advance their cause.  If a prostitute like Ms. Yun was killed the way she was by a Korean hardly anyone would care, the fact a US soldier did it is what made this news.

During the trial Private Markle was kept in custody at the Camp Humphreys Confinement Facility.  This was something else that the anti-US groups at the time were able to demagogue to drive anti-US sentiment.  They wanted Markle held in a Korean jail, but it was agreed upon in the US-ROK Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that all US military prisoners would be held in US custody until the soldier was convicted.  This was to ensure that the servicemember was treated properly, had access to an interpreter, and not put under duress to sign false confessions. This SOFA sticking point would remain a major anti-US issue for many years until the SOFA was changed in the 2000’s where ROK authorities could hold prisoners prior to trial for major crimes like murder.

Though not as prevalent today in South Korea the Markle murder case after the 2002 Armored Vehicle Accident was used prominently by activists back then to push their anti-US agenda.  I can remember my unit was responding to a protest in front of Camp Red Cloud back in 2004 and activists had signs with the pictures of crushed bodies of the two little girls from the accident, but also pictures of Ms. Yun’s defaced body.  These activists obviously had no shame and were willing to exploit anything to advance their cause.

Discussion

Here are some thoughts I have on this case.  First of all Markle admits to hitting Ms. Yun to the point that she was unconscious and he had to check her pulse.  He claims that she was alive after checking the pulse and was groaning.  The CID special agent Willie Evan’s testimony directly refutes this claim. Why would the CID agent lie about what Markle told him during the pre-polygraph questioning?  Unlike the testimony from Lambert, Special Agent Evans has no motive to lie.  How does Markle explain away this testimony?  Further more he failed the polygraph in regards to the questions of whether he had sex with Ms. Yun and defaced the body.  I don’t put as much stock in the polygraph results, but Special Agent Evan’s testimony is what sealed the deal for me on this case that Markle killed Ms. Yun.  The only thing I am not as convinced of is whether he defaced the body since he did not admit to that to Evans; just the polygraph points to him which is not as reliable as the direct witness testimony from Special Agent Evans.  Of interest though is that Markle’s former defense attorney Lieutenant Colonel Kevin M. Boyle, said in a 2007 interview that Markle had covered Ms. Yun’s body with washing detergent to destroy evidence:

Both before and since the Kwangju Uprising, an incident seems to occur every decade that further destabilizes the already frail U.S.-ROK alliance. The 7th Infantry Division withdrew in the 1970s, one of two American Army divisions that had been in Korea since the end of the Korean War. The 1980s saw the Kwangju Uprising, and the 1990s brought the murder of Kum E. Yoon, a Korean prostitute, by a 2d Infantry Division (2ID) Soldier. In the first decade of the twenty-first century there was the uproar over the decision to resume the importation of American beef. It is difficult to overstate the deleterious impact on the alliance brought about by the rape and murder of Kum E. Yoon by Private Kenneth Markle. At the time of the crime, Markle was assigned to 2ID and stationed at Camp Casey in Dongducheon. Yoon worked as a “juicy girl” in one of the camptown clubs. On 28 October 1993, Markle raped Yoon and bludgeoned her to death with a soda bottle. Yoon’s landlord discovered her naked, blood-caked body. Her legs had been spread apart, a bottle inserted into her vagina, and an umbrella inserted eleven inches into her rectum. Markle had also covered the body and the entire crime scene with laundry detergent—apparently believing it would act as lye and destroy the evidence. Markle was sentenced to fifteen years in prison by a Korean court.  [Military Law Review]

Could have Lambert stumbled on to the scene later that night and saw the dead body and then defaced it?  Maybe, but what would have been his motive for doing so?  He might have been pissed that Yun was having sex with Markle if he did in fact think of her as his girlfriend, but defacing the body seems like something he would not do because it could implicate him in the murder.  This is why I agree with the Korean court’s finding that he probably did deface the body.

Also how narcissistic is Markle that even if he savagely beat a woman unconscious like he claims, that two nights later he would go right back to the same club.  It seems to me a normal person would feel remorse and be extremely stressed out over the situation; not go to the same club the girl worked at to go party two days later.

Criticisms of the Trial

During and after the trial, Markle’s parents began a long advocacy campaign to condemn the US military and the US government for its handling of the Markle case.  They would make multiple trips to Korea for the trial and the appeals process:

Article from the July 9, 1994 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

The Markle family even tried to stop the military from handing over their son to the Korean authorities after his conviction by appealing to the US Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court denied their case and Markle was handed over to the Korean authorities to serve his time at the Cheonan Correctional Facility where all USFK prisoners convicted of crimes in Korean courts are held. Despite the criticisms from the family USFK in a highly unusual incidence flew and housed the Markle family in Korea during the trial and paid for his defense attorney.

Article from the February 23, 1993 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

One of the points of contention they had was that Markle signed a confession that was all in Korean without an interpreter.  If so this should not have been used as evidence if is was in fact used during the trial. Also the fact that anti-US protesters were allowed in the courtroom to continuously disrupt proceedings should have also not have been allowed.  Such protests within the courtroom could have influenced the judges to give into public opinion.

Markle did not do much to help his cause in prison when he was punished for a minor incident he helped to instigate due to an issue with the prison mail that caused him and another prisoner to go into solitary confinement for 57 days.

Article from the December 17, 1995 edition of the Stars & Stripes.

Markle’s Release from Prison

Markle would go on to be quietly released from jail in August 2006 and returned to the US just over a year before his 15 year sentence would have been completed:

SEOUL — A former U.S. soldier imprisoned in South Korea on a murder conviction was released this summer, both South Korean and U.S. authorities confirmed Friday.

Former Pvt. Kenneth L. Markle was supposed to be released in early 2008 but was freed on Aug. 14 with two years and nine months of time left on his sentence, the South Korea Ministry of Justice confirmed Friday.

Markle’s release drew attention last week when a member of Korea’s National Assembly criticized the move, saying Markle had not shown model behavior as a prisoner. On Aug. 15, Markle boarded a plane for the States and was separated from the military, a U.S. Forces Korea spokesman said.

Markle’s case sparked debate and protests in the early 1990s after he was accused of brutally attacking a South Korean woman.  [Stars & Stripes]

The quiet release was likely done to preempt any of the anti-US groups from making a scene when Markle was set to be released.  If that was plan it work quite well because little was made of Markle’s release at the time in the media.  Amazingly after his release Markle resurfaced here on the ROK Drop.  The below link to a November 2006 posting has a long drawn out discussion with Markle and a number of his past girlfriends and acquaintances who either defend or condemn him as the murderer:

• Convicted USFK Murderer Speaks Out

The comments section in this old posting is probably the most incredible discussion in this site’s history that I recommend everyone read. Markle continued to proclaim his innocence using many of the same claims he used before.  However, when I confronted him to post the trial’s transcript for everyone to read he refused to.  Being able to read the transcripts would clear up a lot of the speculation and unknown facts discussed previously in this posting.  The fact that he does not want to post the transcripts for people like myself to scrutinize further shows in my opinion he has something to hide.

As if the saga of Kenneth Markle could not get any stranger it does.  It turns out that someone with the same name and age of Markle was arrested and sentenced to 7 years in jail for abusing his wife back in 2014:

1967 was the first year that US troops were allowed to be tried in a Korean court under the newly signed US-ROK Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).  Prior to the SOFA, US troops caught committing crimes in South Korea were tried in US military court martial. The first US servicemember tried in a Korean court was US Air Force Staff Sergent Billy Cox who was convicted in a taxi cab related incident.  However, the first servicemember tried in the death of a Korean national was US Army Specialist John Vaughn.

Vaughn was a 20 year old Specialist from Douglasville, Georgia assigned to E Battery, 4th Missile Battalion, 44th Artillery outside of Kunsan where he served as a unit medic.  Vaughn was accused of throwing a block of wood from the back of a moving vehicle and fatally killing 59 year old Dok-sin Yi who was a fish peddler riding a bicycle that the truck passed. What is especially interesting about this trial is not only is it the first trial of a US servicemember accused of killing a Korean national handled in a Korean court, but also the incident happened while on duty.  What this means is that USFK voluntarily gave up jurisdiction for this case since any crime committed on duty is supposed to be handled by the US military.  Considering how South Korea was in the midst of an attempted insurgency operation by North Korea at the time maybe the USFK leadership felt that even a case like this one that should have been tried by a court martial would be best to have in a Korean court to avoid any political repercussions?

Whatever the reasons, Vaughn found himself on trial in a Korean court and it may have actually worked out to his advantage.  Vaughn claimed he accidentally dropped the wood from the truck that struck and killed Mr. Yi.  The Korean Judge said that the prosecutors could not prove that Vaughn intentionally dropped the piece of wood from the truck that struck Mr. Yi.  Due to this fact the judge convicted Vaughn of manslaughter and fined him 30,000 won which in 1967 was worth about $110.  In addition to the $110 that Vaughn had to pay, USFK already paid the victim’s family $2,200 as well in compensation for the accident.  Overall I would have to think that Specialist Vaughn must have felt pretty lucky to not have been convicted of more serious charges and only had to pay a $110 fine even if the death of Mr. Yi was an accident.

Note: You can read more GI Flashbacks articles by clicking on the below link: 

One of the criticism often claimed by anti-USFK activists is that US soldiers commit crimes and not be tried in Korean courts.  This is of course ridiculous, but it was a claim often made by Koreans especially during the 2002 anti-US movement period.  This claim had no truth to it stretching all the way back to 1967.  It was in 1967 that a US-ROK Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was reached that allowed US troops to be tried in Korean courts.  Before then crimes committed by US troops were handled by US military court martials.  When the SOFA was agreed upon back in 1967 it was only a matter of time before someone became the first US servicemember tried in a Korean court.  That person would end up being US Air Force Staff Sergeant Billy Cox:

Billy Cox was arrested for crimes that are amazingly similar to stupid crimes committed by US servicemembers to this day.  SSgt Cox on the night of February 20, 1967 was accused of setting fire to the home of his Korean girlfriend named Kyung-soon Eum who lived in Osan.  He was alleged to have set the fire because he found out Eum had been cheating on him with another man.  After setting the fire he was then accused of assaulting a cab driver.  Considering all the incidents with cab drivers in recent years, it is only fitting that the first servicemember case handled by Koreans courts was a taxi cab related incident.  Here is how the March 10, 1967 Stars & Stripes described the incident:

As the case went to trial the Korean prosecutors asked the Seoul court to sentence SSgt Cox to three years in a Korean jail.  Here is how the June 7, 1967 Stars & Stripes described the trial:

The trial ended with SSgt Cox being acquitted on the arson charge, but convicted of assaulting the cab driver. He was given a 50,000 won fine by the court which was about $185 back in 1967.  So if there was ever a trivia question asking what crime the first US servicemember tried in a Korean court was convicted of, it would be for assaulting a cab driver all the way back in 1967.  Good luck though getting an anti-US activist in Korea to ever believe it.

Note: You can read more GI Flashbacks articles by clicking on the below link: 

Just when you thought you have seen all the stupid incidents a soldier could cause in Korea someone finds a new level of stupid:

Police say a U.S. soldier was detained after rushing onto the field during a professional baseball game in Seoul in what they called a “heroic” attempt to impress his girlfriend.

The soldier, identified by South Korean police as a 30-year-old corporal, rushed onto the field of Jamsil Stadium around 7:30 p.m. Saturday during a nationally televised game between the Doosan Bears and Hanhwa Eagles.

Doosan security guards nabbed the soldier, who was attending the game with friends, as he ran toward second to first base. Officials suspended the game for about five minutes following the incident.

8th Army spokesman Col. Shawn Stroud said the soldier has been released to his unit and is being investigated by South Korean police. A Jamsil police officer said police could smell alcohol on his breath. His name was not released.

The soldier is expected to be charged with obstruction of work, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine up to 15 million won (about $13,700). The officer said the soldier is unlikely to receive the stiffest punishment, and similar disturbances have resulted in fines or suspended sentences.  [Stars & Stripes]

A couple of USFK servicemembers have found themselves in trouble and it made the local news:

Police said Tuesday that they have arrested a U.S. serviceman over an alleged assault on a South Korean employee at a local club after being drunk.

The 29-year-old U.S. soldier, whose name has not been revealed, was arrested Sunday on accusations of hitting a South Korean employee’s face with a brick at a club located in the central Seoul.

Police said the sergeant was kicked out of the club after being too drunk and was protesting against the move when he made the assault.

He was immediately arrested and was handed over to the U.S. military police. Police said they will summon the soldier for further investigation in the near future.

In a separate case, another 28-year-old U.S. sergeant was also questioned by police on Sunday after fighting with three South Koreans. (Yonhap)

 

Below are the 2015 court martial results posted on the USFK website.  Of interest this month is that a Captain out of the 65th Medical Brigade was convicted of apparently being a drug dealer of prescription medications.  That is something I have never seen a military healthcare provider convicted of.  You can read the rest of the results below:

Results of US Court-Martials for March 2015

On 19 March 2015, at a General Court-Martial, MSG Robela L. Jamison, 602d Aviation ASB, 2CAB, was found guilty of three specifications of assault consummated by battery (Article 128, UCMJ) and one specification of dishonorably failing to pay a debt (Article 134). He was sentenced to be reduced to E-7 and to be confined for 75 days.

On 24 March 2015, at a General Court-Martial, CPT Chung, Ki Young, 65^th Medical Brigade, was found guilty of one specification of possession of illegal drugs (Article 112a, UCMJ), one specification of false official statement (Article 107), and eight specifications of soliciting others to distribute unlawfully prescribed drugs (Article 134).  He was sentenced to confinement for two years and to be dismissed from the service.

On 25 March 2015, at a Summary Court-Martial, SFC Paul D. Mitchell, 35^th Air Defense Artillery, was found guilty of one specification of assault consummated by a battery (Article 128, UCMJ) and one specification of false official statement (Article 107).  He was reduced to E-6 and sentenced to 30 days restrictions (suspended for 180 days

On 26 March 2015, at a Special Court-Martial empowered to adjudge a Bad-Conduct Discharge, PVT David M. Tompkins, HHBN, 2ID, was found guilty of two specifications of assault consummated by battery (Article 128, UCMJ).  He was sentenced to 4 months of confinement and to be discharged from the service with a Bad-Conduct Discharge.

Results of ROK Criminal Prosecutions for March 2015

In Daegu District Court on 3 March 2015, PFC Shuvon Darden, 229th Signal Company, USAG Daegu, was convicted of Destruction and Damage of Property.  His adjudged sentence was a 500,000 Won fine.

In Daegu District Court on 10 March 2015, TSgt James R. Andrews, 607th MMS, USAG Daegu, was convicted of violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (Hit and Run Vehicle).  His adjudged sentence was a 5,000,000 Won fine.

In Seoul Central District Court on 13 March 2015, PVT Brian A. Willett, 142d MP Company, USAG Yongsan, was convicted of Infliction of Bodily Injury.  His adjudged sentence was imprisonment for 6 months, unsuspended.

In Uijeongbu District Court on 18 March 2015, SGT Charles D. Krappitz, A Co, 2/9th Infantry, USAG Casey, was convicted of Destruction and Damage of Property.  His adjudged sentence was a 1,000,000 Won fine.

In Uijeongbu District Court on 18 March 2015, 1LT Solomon Choi, HHT, 4/7th Cavalry, USAG Casey, was convicted of DUI and a violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (Bodily Injury through Dangerous Driving).  His adjudged sentence was a 7,000,000 Won fine.

In Seoul Central District Court on 18 March 2015, SrA Keiyon M. Monroe, 51st DS/SGD. Osan Air Base, was convicted of Infliction of Bodily Injury.  His adjudged sentence was a 1,000,000 Won fine.

In Uijeongbu District Court on 19 March 2015, SGT Devin R. Johnson, 46th Transportation Company, USAG Red Cloud-Stanley, was convicted of DUI.  His adjudged sentence was a 1,000,000 Won fine.

In Uijeongbu District Court on 25 March 2015, PFC Clarence Hall, III., B Btry, 6/37th FA USAG Casey, was convicted of Indecent Act by Compulsion.  His adjudged sentence was a 5,000,000 Won fine and 40 hours of sexual crime prevention class.

Here are the latest USFK court martial and ROK criminal prosecution results.  In February there was a couple of creepy child sex offenders convicted:

Results of Army Courts-Martial for February 2015

On 17 February 2015, at a General Court-Martial, Specialist Nicholas J. Majetich, 94th Military Police Battalion, 501st Sustainment Brigade, was found guilty of one specification of sexual abuse of a child under 16 years of age (Article 120, UCMJ).  He was sentenced to be reduced to E-1, to be confined for 15 months; and to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge.

On 18 February 2015, at a General Court-Martial, Specialist Steven V Dang, 2-1 Air Defense Artillery, 35^th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, was found guilty of one specification of possession of child pornography (Article 134, UCMJ).  He was sentence to be confined for 20 months, to be reduced to E-1, and to receive a Bad Conduct Discharge.

On 23 February 2015, at a General Court-Martial, Specialist Joseph A. Warren, 1-15 Field Artillery, 210th Field Artillery Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, was found guilty of one specification of making a false official statement (Article 107, UCMJ), one specification of wrongful use of a controlled substance (Article 112a), one specification of aggravated assault in (Article 128), one specification of assault consummated by battery (Article 128), and one specification of communicating a threat (Article 134).  He was sentenced to be reduced to E-1, to be confined for 17 months, and to receive a Bad-Conduct Discharge.

On 27 February 2015, at a General Court-Martial, PV2 Javier Davis, 618^th DENTAC, 65^th Medical Brigade, was found guilty of one specification of assault consummated by a battery (Article 128, UCMJ).  He was sentenced to be reprimanded, to be reduced to E-1, to forfeit $1546 per month for two months, to be restricted for 60 days, and to perform hard labor without confinement for 60 days.

Results of ROK Criminal Prosecutions for February 2015

In Busan District Court on 3 February 2015, MCPO William D. Combs, MSC-K, Busan, was convicted of Violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (Hit and Run Vehicle).  His adjudged sentence was a 3,000,000 Won fine.

In Daegu District Court on 5 February 2015, SGT Liuneta J. Ioane, Jr., HHC, 19th ESC, USAG Daegu, was convicted of Indecent Act by Compulsion.  His adjudged sentence was a 3,000,000 Won fine and ordered to register as sex offender with the local authority.

In Jeonju District Court on 4 February 2015, SSgt Jael X. Laborn, 8th FW (duty w/AFN), Kunsan Air Base, was convicted of traffic law violations including leaving the scene of the accident.  His adjudged sentence was a 5,000,000 Won fine.

In Suwon District Court on 12 February 2015, SFC Darin A. Cox, A Btry, 6/52d ADA, Osan Air Base, was convicted of DUI and a violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (Death or Injury Resulting from Dangerous Driving).  His adjudged sentence was a 6,000,000 Won fine.

Here is the first USFK court martial and ROK criminal prosecutions of the year and there sure are a lot of people being prosecuted to start the new year:

Results of Army Courts-Martial for January 2015

On 6 January 2015, at a Special Court Martial, Specialist Alvin Cinco, 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 65th Medical Brigade, was found guilty of one specification of Abusive Sexual Contact (Article 120, UCMJ).  The Soldier was sentenced to be reduced to E-1, to perform 30 days of hard labor, and to be restricted for 30 days to the confines of Camp Walker.

On 9 January 2015, at a General Court-Martial, Private (E-2) Joseph Kargbo, 498th Combat Sustainment Battalion, 501st Sustainment Brigade, was found guilty of one specification of disobeying a commissioned officer’s lawful order (Article 90, UCMJ); one specification of sexual assault (Article 120); one specification of false official statement (Article 107); two specifications of assault upon a law officer (Article 128); and one specification of failing to obey a general order (Article 92).  He was sentenced to be reduced to E-1, to forfeit of all pay and allowances, to be confined for 180 days, and to be discharged with a Bad-Conduct Discharge.

On 9 January 2015, at a Summary Court-Martial, Sergeant First Class Steven E. Barnett, 94th Military Police Battalion, 501st Sustainment Brigade, was found guilty of one specification of signing a false document (Article 107); and two specifications of larceny of military property (Article 121).  He was sentenced to be reduced to E-6 and to forfeit $2,914.00 pay per month for one month.

On 15 January 2015 at a Special Court-Martial, Private (E-1) Stefan D. Hughes, 602d ASB, 2CAB, 2ID, was found guilty of one specification of aggravated assault (Article 128, UCMJ); one specification of assault consummated by battery (Article 128); one specification of insubordinate conduct toward a noncommissioned officer (Article 91); one specification of destruction of nonmilitary property (Article 109); two specifications of wrongful appropriation (Article 121); and one specification of disorderly conduct  (Article 134).  He was sentenced to be confined for 140 days, to forfeit $600 pay per month for four months, and to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge.

On 22 January 2015, at a General Court-Martial, Private (E-2) Fernando P. Cabrera, 501st Special Troops Battalion, 501st Sustainment Brigade, was found guilty of two specifications of abusive sexual contact (Article 120, UCMJ) and one specification of indecent visual recording (Article 120c).  He was sentence to be reduced to the grade of E-1, to be confined for 20 months, and to be discharged with a Bad-Conduct Discharge.

On 29 January 2015, at a General Court-Martial, Private (E1) Romel L. Jackson, 1-15th, 210th FA, 2ID, was found guilty of one specification of assault consummated by battery (Article 128, UCMJ) and one specification of aggravated assault (Article 128).  He was sentenced to be confined for 10 months, and to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge.

On 29 January 2015, at a Summary Court-Martial, Private (E-2) Timothy W. McCaulley, 52^nd Air Defense Artillery, 35^th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, was found guilty of abusive sexual contact (Article 120, UCMJ), and three specifications of violating a lawful general regulation (Article 92).  He was sentenced to be reduced to E-1, to forfeit $773, and to be confined for 30 days.

On 29 January 2015, at a Summary Court-Martial, PFC Dwight A.K. Bradley, 304th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade, was found guilty of one specification of dereliction of duty (Article 92, UCMJ), and one specification of disobeying a lawful general regulation (Article 92).  He was sentenced to be reduced to E-1, to forfeit 2/3 pay for one month, and to be confined for 30 days.

On 30 January 2015, at a General Court-Martial, Specialist Denzel C. James, 1-15th, 210th FA, 2ID, was found guilty of three specifications of assault consummated by battery (Article 128, UCMJ).  He was sentenced to be reduced  to E-1, to be confined for seven months , and to receive a Bad Conduct Discharge.

On 30 January 2015, at a Summary Court-Martial, PFC Tevin D. Watts, 304th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade, was found guilty of one specification of dereliction of duty (Article 92, UCMJ), and two specifications of disobeying a lawful general regulation (Article 92).  He was sentenced to be reduced to E-1, to forfeit 2/3 pay for one month, and to be confined for 30 days.

Results of ROK Criminal Prosecutions for January 2015

In Uijeongbu  District Court on 5 January 2015, SSG SSG Joshua L. Tverberg, HSC, HHB, 2d Infantry Division, USAG Red Cloud, was convicted of traffic law violations.  His adjudged sentence was a 1,500,000 Won fine.

In Uijeongbu District Court on 6 January 2015, SGT Jeremy M. Cox, E Btry 6/52d ADA, USAG Casey, was convicted of DUI.  His adjudged sentence was a 3,000,000 Won fine.

In Uijeongbu District Court on 6 January 2015, SPC Daniel S. Vega, LRC-RC, 403d AFSB, USAG Casey, was convicted of DUI.  His adjudged sentence was a 3,000,000 Won fine.

In Uijeongbu District Court on 12 January 2015, SGT Charles L. Kamuf, HHC, 1/73d Armor, USAG Casey, was convicted of Assault.  His adjudged sentence was a 500,000 Won fine.

In Jeonju District Court on 13 January 2015, A1C Emanuel A. Na, 8th LRS, Kunsan Air Base, was convicted of Indecent Act by Compulsion.  His adjudged sentence was a 2,000,000 Won and registration as a sex offender with the local authority.

In Uijeongbu District Court on 15 January 2015, SSG Jari A. Yarrell, I&S Co, HHB, 8th Army (duty w/G-6), was convicted of Larceny and DUI.  His adjudged sentence was a 4,500,000 Won fine.

In Daegu District Court on 15 January 2015, PVT Geoffrey B. Cothran, B Co, 30th ESB, USAG Humphreys, was convicted of DUI.  His adjudged sentence was a 3,000,000 Won fine.

In Seoul Western District Court on 21 January 2015, PFC Eric J. Bradley, F Co, 302d BSB, USAG Humphreys, was convicted of Infliction of Bodily Injury.  His adjudged sentence was a 1,000,000 Won fine.

In Seoul Central District Court on 22 January 2015, WO1 Scedric A. Moss, HHC, 65d Medical Brigade, USAG Yongsan, was convicted of traffic law violations.  His adjudged sentence was a 1,000,000 Won fine.

In Seoul Central District Court on 23 January 2015, SrA Weston P. Basinger, 113FW, attached to 8FW, Kunsan Air Base, was convicted of Indecent Act by Compulsion.  His adjudged sentence was a 2,000,000 Won fine, sexual violence treatment class for 40 hours and registration as a sex offender with the local authority.

In Suwon District Court on 23 January 2015, CW2 Quentin M. Hagewood, A Co, 3-2 GSAB, USAG Humphreys, was convicted of DUI.  His adjudged sentence was a 3,000,000 Won fine.