Court Martial Attorney – Schofield sergeant
in Iraq charged in death of fellow soldier
By Gregg K. Kakesako
A 29-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier has been charged with accidentally shooting and killing a fellow 25th Infantry Division soldier in Iraq three months ago.
Sgt. Miguel A. Vegaquinones was charged yesterday with involuntary manslaughter and making a false official statement in connection with the death of Pfc. Sean McCune on Jan. 11.
McCune died after allegedly being shot by Vegaquinones following the completion of their guard duty shift in Samarra.
The Army said Vegaquinones negligently shot McCune, but did not provide details.
They were both assigned to 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
If Vegaquines’ case is sent to a general court martial he faces a maximum jail sentence of 10 years if convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The false official statement charges carries a maximum sentence of five years confinement.
McCune’s death is among seven non-combat deaths this year involving soldiers and Marines with Hawaii-based ties now serving in Iraq.
Until now, the Pentagon had given the reason for only one of the deaths. Hawaii Army National Guard Spc. Cwislyn K. Walter, 19, died Feb. 19 from injuries sustained in a single vehicle accident on Seventh Ring Road outside Kuwait City in Kuwait. She was assigned to the 29th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Michael Waddington is a court martial lawyer – court martial attorney that defends military personnel worldwide as well as deployed civilian contractors subject to the UCMJ. He defends Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Coast Guard, and civilian contractor court martial cases. He has successfully defended military personnel as a court martial lawyer Army Navy Marine & Air Force court martials in Germany, England, Italy, Iraq, Kuwait, Korea, Okinawa, Japan, Yokota, and throughout the United States. military-defense-lawyer-recentcases.htm.
Comments on this entry are closed.