A former Guantanamo Bay Naval Station commander was convicted on multiple counts of making false statements and obstructing justice regarding a civilian death on the base, the Department of Justice announced Friday.
Loss Prevention Safety Manager Christopher M. Tur, 42, drowned on the base on Jan. 11, 2015, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Capt. John Nettleton, 53, was convicted in January 2020 on two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of making false statements, one count of concealment of material facts, and one count of falsification of records in connection with Tur’s death.
“Nettleton misled and obstructed the investigators attempting to determine what happened to Mr. Tur, and this sentence ensures that he will pay a heavy price,” Acting Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s Criminal Division Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said, according to the DOJ.
Ex-navy captain John Nettleton convicted of multiple offenses related to the death of a civilian
— The Express Tribune (@etribune) October 9, 2020
Nettleton was sentenced to two years in federal prison and one year of supervised release, according to the DOJ. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Has Trump Ordered American Politicians And Other ‘High Level’ Prisoners Be Sent To Guantanamo Bay?)
“By deliberately misleading NCIS [Naval Criminal Investigative Services] in the search for Mr. Tur and the ensuing investigation into the circumstances of his death, Captain Nettleton delayed justice and wasted valuable Department of the Navy resources,” NCIS Southeast Field Office Special Agent in Charge Thomas Cannizzo, according to the DOJ.
Tur confronted Nettleton about an alleged extramarital affair between the commander and Tur’s spouse at a party at the Guantanamo Officer’s Club on Jan. 9, 2015, according to the DOJ. Tur went to Nettleton’s home where a physical altercation occurred.
Tur sustained injuries before he drowned, according to an autopsy.
Tur was reported missing on Jan. 10, 2015, Nettleton falsely told officers that he last saw Tur at the Officer’s Club, according to the DOJ.
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