Captain John Nettleton, Obstruction of Justice, Florida 2020

A former Commander of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Captain John Nettleton, 53, of Jacksonville, Florida, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison following his multiple convictions of obstructing justice and making false statements.

According to a federal jury in the Middle District of Florida, Captain Nettleton was convicted of two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of concealment of material facts, one count of falsification of records, and two counts of making false statements, all related to his actions during the Navy’s investigation of the death of Christopher M. Tur, the Loss Prevention Safety Manager at GTMO’s Naval Exchange.

The case dates back to January 11, 2015, when Tur, 42, was found drowned in the waters of Guantanamo Bay. An autopsy revealed that Tur had suffered injuries prior to his drowning. At the time of Tur’s death, Nettleton was the commanding officer of GTMO.

“Nettleton misled and obstructed the investigators attempting to determine what happened to Mr. Tur, and this sentence ensures that he will pay a heavy price,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Criminal Division.

“That price, however, pales in comparison to that paid by the family of Mr. Tur, whose pain was compounded by Nettleton’s actions,” Rabbitt added.

Nettleton was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan, who also ordered Nettleton to serve one year of supervised release.

The facts developed at trial showed that Tur confronted Nettleton at a party at the GTMO Officers’ Club on January 9, 2015, with allegations that Nettleton and Tur’s spouse had engaged in an extramarital affair. Later that same evening, Tur went to Nettleton’s residence and a physical altercation ensued that left Tur injured. Tur was reported missing on January 10, 2015, by other residents of GTMO.

Despite knowing that Tur had been at his residence and injured during the altercation, Nettleton falsely informed his superior officers and other Navy personnel that Tur had last been seen at the Officer’s Club the night before. Nettleton also did not report that Tur had accused him of the extramarital affair, that Nettleton and Tur had engaged in a physical altercation at Nettleton’s residence, or that Tur had been injured.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/former-commander-naval-station-guantanamo-bay-sentenced-prison