Current:Home > StocksArmy private who fled to North Korea will plead guilty to desertion-InfoLens
Army private who fled to North Korea will plead guilty to desertion
View Date:2024-12-23 20:59:43
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Army private who fled to North Korea just over a year ago will plead guilty to desertion and four other charges and take responsibility for his conduct, his lawyer said Monday.
Travis King’s attorney, Franklin D. Rosenblatt, told The Associated Press, that King intends to admit his guilt to military offenses, including desertion and assaulting an officer. Nine other offenses, including possession of sexual images of a child, will be dismissed under the terms of the deal.
King will be given an opportunity at a Sept. 20 plea hearing at Fort Bliss, Texas, to discuss his actions.
“He wants to take responsibility for the things that he did,” Rosenblatt said. He declined to comment on a possible sentence that his client might face.
Desertion is a serious charge and can result in imprisonment for as much as three years.
The AP reported last month that the two sides were in plea talks.
King bolted across the heavily fortified border from South Korea in July 2023, and became the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years.
His run into North Korea came soon after he was released from a South Korean prison where he had served nearly two months on assault charges.
About a week after his release from the prison, military officers took him to the airport so he could return to Fort Bliss to face disciplinary action. He was escorted as far as customs, but instead of getting on the plane, he joined a civilian tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom. He then ran across the border, which is lined with guards and often crowded with tourists.
He was detained by North Korea, but after about two months, Pyongyang abruptly announced that it would expel him. On Sept. 28, he was flown to back to Texas, and has been in custody there.
The U.S. military in October filed a series of charges against King under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including desertion, as well as kicking and punching other officers, unlawfully possessing alcohol, making a false statement and possessing a video of a child engaged in sexual activity. Those allegations date back to July 10, the same day he was released from the prison.
veryGood! (7885)
Related
- Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake
- See the first photos of 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' cast, including Michael Keaton
- A hot air balloon crashed into a power line and caused a fire, but everyone is OK
- A third man is now charged with murder in the Kansas City Super Bowl rally shooting
- Does your dog have arthritis? A lot of them do. But treatment can be tricky
- Sister Wives' Christine Brown Shares Emotional Message on Moving Forward After Garrison's Death
- Idaho manhunt enters day 2 for escaped violent felon, police ID ambush accomplice, shooter
- After beating cancer, Myles Rice hopes to lead Washington State on an NCAA Tournament run
- US inflation may have picked up in October after months of easing
- Virginia wildfire map: See where fires are blazing as some areas deal with road closures
Ranking
- Mattel says it ‘deeply’ regrets misprint on ‘Wicked’ dolls packaging that links to porn site
- Human remains found in 1979 in Chicago suburb identified through DNA, forensic genealogy
- Kentucky governor appoints new commissioner to run the state’s troubled juvenile justice department
- Florida city commissioner accused of spending 96-year-old's money on facelift, hotels
- Subway rider who helped restrain man in NYC chokehold death says he wanted ex-Marine to ‘let go’
- Best used SUVs in 2024: Subaru, Toyota among reliable picks across the price spectrum
- Willem Dafoe's 'naturally fly' Prada and Woolrich fit has the internet swooning
- Gavin Rossdale Details Shame Over Divorce From Gwen Stefani
Recommendation
-
Chris Wallace will leave CNN 3 years after defecting from 'Fox News Sunday'
-
Evers vetoes Republican election bills, signs sales tax exemption for precious metals
-
About 70 dogs killed after 'puppy mill' bursts into flames in Ohio, reports say
-
Explosive Jersey Shore Teaser Offers First Glimpse of Sammi and Ronnie Reunion
-
My Chemical Romance will perform 'The Black Parade' in full during 2025 tour: See dates
-
Gavin Rossdale Details Shame Over Divorce From Gwen Stefani
-
Alix Earle Recommended a Dermaplaning Tool That’s on Sale for $7: Here’s What Happened When I Tried It
-
NFL's bid to outlaw hip-drop tackles is slippery slope