Thursday, June 18, 2009
Schofield soldier charged in death of comrade negotiating plea
Associated Press
BAGHDAD – A Schofield Barracks soldier charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a comrade in Iraq has entered plea negotiations instead of facing a hearing, the military said today.
Sgt. Miguel A. Vegaquinones, 33, of Havelock, N.C., also has been charged with lying to investigators in the death of Pfc. Sean P. McCune.
Vegaquinones had been due to face an Article 32 hearing – the military equivalent of a grand jury – but has entered plea negotiations instead, the U.S. military said in an e-mail.
McCune, 20, of Euless, Texas, died after Vegaquinones allegedly discharged a round of ammunition while cleaning his weapon, the military said. The death occurred after the two men had finished a guard duty shift on Jan. 11 in Samarra.
Vegaquinones and McCune were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, which is based at Schofield Barracks.
Involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence, while making a false official statement can bring a sentence of up to five years, according to the military.
Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, is a former Sunni insurgent stronghold. It has seen a drastic drop in violence after local tribal leaders joined forces with the Americans against al-Qaida in Iraq.
It also was the site of a 2006 bombing that destroyed a golden-domed Shiite mosque, triggering months of retaliatory sectarian violence nationwide.
Source: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090618/BREAKING/90618018/Schofield+soldier+charged+in+death+of+comrade+negotiating+plea
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