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Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Free Yonathan Melaku , Its a misunderstanding, He loves the Marines.
Posted by:
dika-dika
()
Date: July 21, 2011 05:02AM
Lawyer: Ex-Marine Yonathan Melaku Has No Grudge Against Marines
By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press
LEESBURG, Va. - A former Marine accused of taking potshots at the Pentagon and other military targets with a handgun said his client doesn't harbor any kind of grievance against the Corps, his lawyer said Wednesday.
"I don't believe this was based on any grievance against the Marines," defense attorney Robert May said, referring to his client, Yonathan Melaku, 22, of Alexandria. "As far as I know he was happy with his Marine Corps service."
Melaku is charged in U.S. District Court in Alexandria with a series of overnight shootings beginning in October that had targets including the Pentagon and the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico. He was arrested last month after police spotted him in Arlington National Cemetery after dark, acting suspiciously. His arrest that day prompted a security scare that resulted in closures of many of the highways leading to the Pentagon during the morning rush hour.
After the arrest, investigators said they linked Melaku to the series of shootings that had occurred in October and November of last year, which alarmed northern Virginia authorities at the time. During the monthslong search for a suspect in those shootings, police said they believed the shooter might be someone with ties to the military who had some sort of grievance.
Since Melaku's arrest, authorities have not commented on a motive.
On Wednesday, Melaku appeared at a pretrial hearing in Leesburg on unrelated state charges for larceny connected to a series of car break-ins. Prosecutors dropped four of the six larceny charges against Melaku, and in exchange Melaku waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the remaining two charges. Those two felony counts will be sent to a grand jury, which is expected to issue an indictment when it meets Aug. 8. Melaku may enter into a plea bargain on those charges at that time, his lawyer said.
Melaku said little during Wednesday's brief hearing, waving to his parents as he was led out of court in a red striped jail jumpsuit. His parents declined comment.
He is to remain in custody at the Loudoun County jail.
May spoke briefly to reporters following Wednesday's hearing. He said he briefly represented Melaku on the federal charges and consulted with him about them, but that he is no longer retained on the federal charges. May declined to discuss the federal charges in detail.
Melaku served in the Marines for several years as a lance corporal in the reserves. He was dismissed from the Corps last month because of the larceny charges.
Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/lawyer-ex-marine-yonathan-melaku-has-no-grudge-against-marines-072011#ixzz1SjEkgOfq
Lawyers working overtime to get him off.
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By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press
LEESBURG, Va. - A former Marine accused of taking potshots at the Pentagon and other military targets with a handgun said his client doesn't harbor any kind of grievance against the Corps, his lawyer said Wednesday.
"I don't believe this was based on any grievance against the Marines," defense attorney Robert May said, referring to his client, Yonathan Melaku, 22, of Alexandria. "As far as I know he was happy with his Marine Corps service."
Melaku is charged in U.S. District Court in Alexandria with a series of overnight shootings beginning in October that had targets including the Pentagon and the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico. He was arrested last month after police spotted him in Arlington National Cemetery after dark, acting suspiciously. His arrest that day prompted a security scare that resulted in closures of many of the highways leading to the Pentagon during the morning rush hour.
After the arrest, investigators said they linked Melaku to the series of shootings that had occurred in October and November of last year, which alarmed northern Virginia authorities at the time. During the monthslong search for a suspect in those shootings, police said they believed the shooter might be someone with ties to the military who had some sort of grievance.
Since Melaku's arrest, authorities have not commented on a motive.
On Wednesday, Melaku appeared at a pretrial hearing in Leesburg on unrelated state charges for larceny connected to a series of car break-ins. Prosecutors dropped four of the six larceny charges against Melaku, and in exchange Melaku waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the remaining two charges. Those two felony counts will be sent to a grand jury, which is expected to issue an indictment when it meets Aug. 8. Melaku may enter into a plea bargain on those charges at that time, his lawyer said.
Melaku said little during Wednesday's brief hearing, waving to his parents as he was led out of court in a red striped jail jumpsuit. His parents declined comment.
He is to remain in custody at the Loudoun County jail.
May spoke briefly to reporters following Wednesday's hearing. He said he briefly represented Melaku on the federal charges and consulted with him about them, but that he is no longer retained on the federal charges. May declined to discuss the federal charges in detail.
Melaku served in the Marines for several years as a lance corporal in the reserves. He was dismissed from the Corps last month because of the larceny charges.
Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/lawyer-ex-marine-yonathan-melaku-has-no-grudge-against-marines-072011#ixzz1SjEkgOfq
Lawyers working overtime to get him off.
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Attachments:
Re: Free Yonathan Melaku , Its a misunderstanding, He loves the Marines.
Posted by:
ProVallone
()
Date: July 21, 2011 07:05AM
Put him on the boat and bring him back to the God forsaken country where people are named "Yonathan".
Re: Free Yonathan Melaku , Its a misunderstanding, He loves the Marines.
Posted by:
WingNut
()
Date: July 21, 2011 08:20AM
I know a lot of Ethiopians and they are pretty embarrassed by this weirdo. Most Ethiopians are orthodox Christians and don't care much for the Islam thing.
Never helps when the perp of some shit like this is a recent transplant- show's a lot of ingratitude and contempt for your host country.
80 years would be suffecient.
Never helps when the perp of some shit like this is a recent transplant- show's a lot of ingratitude and contempt for your host country.
80 years would be suffecient.
idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam
Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.
Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM
Re: Free Yonathan Melaku , Its a misunderstanding, He loves the Marines.
Posted by:
semper fi
()
Date: July 21, 2011 09:48AM
Just drop him off at the Enlisted club at Quantico, the matter will be resolved
Re: Free Yonathan Melaku , Its a misunderstanding, He loves the Marines.
Posted by:
Piggy
()
Date: July 22, 2011 03:28AM
Simply execute him and be done.