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U.S. Marine in Okinawa gets suspended prison term for forging $20 bills

NAHA —

The Naha District Court on Thursday sentenced a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa to three years in prison, suspended for four years, for forging 42 $20 bills and making purchases with them outside U.S. military facilities. ‘‘The defendant committed a premeditated act carried out with significant cunning but there is the mitigating fact of the recent birth of his baby that needs to be taken into consideration,’’ Presiding Judge Hiroyuki Yoshii said, explaining the reason for suspending the sentence.
   
According to the court, Pfc Philip Scott, 20, who is assigned to the Makiminato Service Area of the U.S. Marine Corps in Urasoe in Japan’s southernmost prefecture, produced the bills with a color printer at his barracks and used them to pay taxi fares and restaurant food in November last year.

© 2008 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.

2 Comments

  • rjd_jr at 08:01 AM JST - 16th May

    Three years sounds rather harsh for this crime. While in other places forgery can mean a stiff sentence, I don't think it merits three years. Still, it's suspended so if this Marine screws up, it's his darned fault.

  • ALHQQ at 05:52 PM JST - 22nd May

    Stupid, Stupid, Stupid...This guys is lucky he's not in huge trouble with the Japanese law.

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