U.S. Army Contractor Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Stabbing at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON – A U.S. Army contractor was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for stabbing another individual with a knife at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride for the Eastern District of Virginia and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Sean T. Brehm, 45, of Capetown, South Africa, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga in the Eastern District of Virginia.  Brehm pleaded guilty in April 2011 to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.  Judge Trenga also sentenced Brehm to three years of supervised release to follow his prison term. 

According to court documents, the stabbing took place on Nov. 25, 2010.  At the time of the stabbing, Brehm was working as a contractor for DynCorp International LLC, a U.S. Army contractor in Afghanistan.  According to court documents, the stabbing resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim, who was a contractor with the U.S. Agency for International Development.  The victim underwent emergency surgery immediately following the incident.

Brehm was charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), a statute that gives U.S. courts jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed outside the United States by, among others, contractors or subcontractors of the Department of Defense.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney James S. Yoon of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.  The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and the International Security Assistance Force Military Police conducted the military investigation.  The Office of Military Justice for Regional Command - South and 10th Mountain Division, and the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate for Regional Command - South provided invaluable assistance.

Contractor Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Death of Afghan National in Kabul, Afghanistan

WASHINGTON—Christopher Drotleff, 31, of Virginia Beach, Va., was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his role in shooting and killing an Afghan national while on an unauthorized convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 5, 2009, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar also ordered Drotleff to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

On March 11, 2011, Drotleff and Justin Cannon, 29, of Corpus Christi, Texas, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter while working as contractors for the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan. Cannon and Drotleff were acquitted of other charges, including second-degree murder, assault resulting in serious bodily injury and firearms offenses. Cannon is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2011.

“Mr. Drotleff’s criminal conduct led to a tragic loss of innocent life,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “We hope that today’s sentence will bring some measure of comfort to the victims’ families. Reckless violence by those who are employed by our armed forces abroad endangers the lives of innocent civilians and undermines the trust that our international partners have placed in our military efforts. Mr. Drotleff’s conduct stands in stark contrast to the actions of the many brave men and women who serve this country honorably.”

“Christopher Drotleff recklessly fired his nine millimeter pistol at unarmed Afghan civilians, killing two people and shattering the lives of many more,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “General Petraeus reminded us that Mr. Drotleff’s senseless killing not only took innocent lives but also seriously harmed our mission in Afghanistan and put the lives of American military and civilians in danger. The jury’s verdict and today’s sentence shows that no one is above the law – even in a combat zone – and that the reckless use of force will be punished.”

“International investigations are very complex, frequently dangerous and take a tremendous amount of dedication and effort on the part of our Special Agents,” said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI in general and the Washington Field Office in particular, is both willing and able to deploy anywhere in the world to investigate violations of U.S. law no matter where they occur or who commits them.”

Cannon and Drotleff were charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) in a superseding indictment filed on Aug. 5, 2010. Cannon and Drotleff were Department of Defense contractors employed by a subsidiary of Xe (formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide).

According to evidence presented at trial, on May 5, 2009, both men left their military base without authorization to transport local interpreters. The evidence at trial established that, after the lead vehicle in the convoy crashed and was overturned on the side of the road, Cannon and Drotleff fired multiple shots into the back of a civilian car that had attempted to pass the accident scene. The passenger of the car was fatally shot and the driver was seriously injured. An individual who happened to be walking his dog in the area was also killed in the shooting. The jury found the defendants guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the death of Romal Mohammad Naiem, the front-seat passenger. They were acquitted of charges relating to the death of the person walking his dog and injuries to the driver.

According to court records, as contractors, Cannon and Drotleff provided training to the Afghan National Army for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the use and maintenance of weapons and weapons systems.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Robert McGovern of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy C. Stoker and Alan M. Salsbury from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia - Norfolk Division. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.

Forensic Science in Homicide Investigations

Editor's Note: Much of the discussion will be applicable to the investigation of terrorist incidents.

On December 17, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with Vernon J. Geberth, NYPD (ret.) on Forensic Science in Homicide Investigations.

Program Date: December 17, 2009
Program Time: 1700 hours, Pacific
Topic: Forensic Science in Homicide Investigations
Listen Live: www.americanheroesradio.com/forensic_science_homicide_investigations.html

About the Guest
Vernon Geberth is a retired lieutenant-commander of the New York Police Department. As the commanding officer of the Bronx Homicide Task Force, his investigators handled more than four hundred murder investigations every year. Vernon Geberth is recipient of over sixty awards for bravery and exceptional work during twenty-three years of service. He has personally investigated, supervised, assessed, researched and consulted on over eight thousand homicides.

Vernon Geberth has master's degrees in both psychology and professional studies, is a graduate of the FBI's National Academy. Over the past twenty-five years, he has taught over 50,000 police officers his comprehensive course in Practical Homicide Investigation.

Geberth’s book, Practical Homicide Investigation has been referred to as the "Bible of Homicide." His subsequent works, “The Practical Homicide Investigation Checklist and Field Guide” and “Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation: Practical and Clinical Perspectives,” demonstrate his professional ability and subject matter expert command over homicide investigations. In addition to his own works Geberth has been an editor in over forty other textbooks. He has devoted his life to the study of murder and was the first law enforcement professional to devise standard guidelines and protocols for proficient death inquiries. Currently he is president of P.H.I. Investigative Consultants, Inc., a New York-based corporation that provides state-of-the-art instruction and consultation regarding homicide investigations to police officers.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is Police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. American Heroes Radio brings you to the watering hole, where it is Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
www.americanheroesradio.com/forensic_science_homicide_investigations.html

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530