Japan Charges Sailor in Cabbie's Death

[unhappycamper]

Japan Charges Sailor in Cabbie's Death
April 24, 2008
Associated Press

TOKYO - Prosecutors charged a U.S. Sailor April 24 in the stabbing death of a taxi driver, one of a series of alleged crimes against American service members that has stirred anger in Japan.

Olatunbosun Ugbogu, a Nigerian citizen serving in the U.S. Navy, was charged with stabbing to death Masaaki Takahashi, 61, near a U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on March 19, Yokohama District Court officials said in a statement.

The sailor, who served on the USS Cowpens, faces charges of robbery, murder and illegal possession of a weapon. Japanese police have said that he confessed to the crime.

Court officials said the Sailor faces a possible death sentence if convicted.

Ugbogu, 22, was taken into U.S. custody after Navy authorities apprehended him in Tokyo March 22 on an earlier desertion charge. Navy and Japanese authorities first questioned him about the killing after a credit card in his name was allegedly found in the victim's car.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/japan-charges-sailor-in-cabbies-death.html