Airman Found Guilty of Gang Initiation

[unhappycamper]

Airman Found Guilty of Gang Initiation
January 27, 2009
Air Force Print News|by TSgt. Kati Garcia

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. - A Little Rock Air Force Base Airman was found guilty of participating in a gang initiation that resulted in the 2005 death of a Soldier stationed at a military base in Germany in a court-martial Jan. 23 here.

Staff Sgt. Jerome A. Jones Jr., assigned to the 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was sentenced to a reduction in rank to E-1, a dishonorable discharge and two years confinement following a nine-day court-martial.

The crew chief was found guilty of aggravated assault, two counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, participating in gang activity, possession and use of marijuana and failure to obey an order or regulation. Prior to sentencing, the maximum confinement Sergeant Jones' could have received was capped at 17.5 years.

Prosecutors alleged that Sergeant Jones and others stationed at Kaiserslautern, Germany, beat Army Sgt. Juwan Johnson as part of a "gang-style" initiation the night of July 3, 2005. Sergeant Johnson was found dead in his barracks room July 4, 2005. Sergeant Jones entered a plea of not guilty to all charges including involuntary manslaughter, three counts of conspiracy, two counts of obstruction of justice, one count each of use and possession of a controlled substance, failure to obey an order or regulation and being an accessory after the fact.

Sergeant Jones was one of 11 former or current servicemembers accused of either being present for or participating in an initiation ceremony for Sergeant Johnson. To date, two Soldiers and one other Airman have been convicted and sentenced to confinement and another Soldier was acquitted.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/air-force-news/airman-found-guilty-of-gang-initiation.html?col=1186032369229