May 28, 2010NAHA -- The Naha District Court on Thursday sentenced a 19-year-old U.S. Marine to three to four years in prison for robbing a taxi driver here at knifepoint and inflicting minor injuries.
The defendant "thought that by committing a robbery he could demonstrate his ability to take action to his superior officer and gain permission for a transfer," Presiding Judge Hideyuki Suzuki stated in his ruling. The prosecution had sought a four- to six-year term.
According to the ruling, on the night of August 1, 2009, the Marine held a knife to the neck of a taxi driver here and robbed him of 21,000 yen, a bag holding 100 U.S. dollars, and a box of small change. The driver received slight injuries to his neck.
(Mainichi Japan) May 28, 2010
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