Ari Taylor, Involuntary Manslaughter, North Carolina 2020

Ari Taylor Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Death of US Air Force Doctor

A former American military contractor has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for fatally striking an active duty US Air Force medical doctor with a forklift as she was walking on Al Dhafra Airbase in the United Arab Emirates.

Ari Taylor, 32, of Roxboro, North Carolina, made the plea today in connection with the death of Captain Kelliann Leli, who was struck by a forklift that Taylor was operating on November 27, 2020. Taylor was employed by a US military contractor at the time of the incident.

According to court documents, Taylor was driving the forklift to deliver pallets of water on the airbase when he struck Captain Leli. The incident occurred in a shared space between a medical clinic and living quarters, where pedestrians were frequently present. Taylor acknowledged that he was distracted while using his cell phone at the time of the collision and never saw Captain Leli.

A crash reconstruction expert concluded that Taylor had almost nine seconds to prevent the crash, but he admitted that he failed to take any steps to avoid striking Captain Leli with the forklift.

Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2023, in a federal district court. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Brigadier General Terry L. Bullard of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations made the announcement.

The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the FBI, and Senior Trial Attorney Frank G. Rangoussis and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Terry Meinecke for the Middle District of North Carolina, are prosecuting the case.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant/Respondent Name: Ari Taylor

Criminal Charges: Involuntary Manslaughter

City and State: Roxboro, North Carolina

Date: November 27, 2020 (crime date), April 25, 2023 (sentencing date)

Sentence/Outcome: Scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2023

Facts:

Ari Taylor, a 32-year-old man from Roxboro, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for fatally striking a US Air Force medical doctor with a forklift on November 27, 2020, in the United Arab Emirates. The incident occurred when Taylor was distracted while using his cell phone and never saw Captain Kelliann Leli. Taylor had almost nine seconds to prevent the crash but failed to take any steps to avoid striking Captain Leli with the forklift. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2023.

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