Marine who vanished in Iraq in 2004 found guilty of desertion
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A U.S. Marine who vanished a decade ago in Iraq was convicted today of desertion for leaving his post there and then fleeing to Lebanon after a brief return to the U.S.
The judge at Camp Lejeune, Marine Maj. Nicholas Martz, ruled in a bench trial that Cpl. Wassef Hassoun was guilty of deserting for the 2004 and 2005 disappearances. Hassoun was also convicted of causing the loss of his service pistol.
A spokesman for the Marines, Capt. Stewart Coles, said in a release that Hassoun faces a maximum penalty of 7 ½ years in prison, reduction in rank, loss of pay and a dishonorable discharge.
While the judge determined Hassoun intentionally fled during the two disappearances at the heart of the case, his ruling leaves the defendant facing a less-severe punishment than he did at the trial's outset. Had Hassoun been convicted of all charges and specifications, he could have been sentenced to a maximum of 27 years in prison.