Posted on 07/15/2006 8:40:47 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
DENVER - An Air Force officer with hundreds of hours of combat time pleaded guilty Friday to defacing cars with bumper stickers supporting President Bush, and was given a two-year deferred sentence and ordered to pay for the damage he caused.
Lt. Col. Alexis Fecteau, a decorated officer who flew 500 combat hours in the Gulf War, Kosovo and Bosnia, pleaded guilty to felony mischief and must pay restitution to the owners of the damaged cars to clear his record.
Fecteau, 43, of Colorado Springs, did not speak during or after the hearing.
Fecteau's lawyer, Patrick Mulligan said his client, a 20-year veteran, has submitted his retirement papers. Negotiations are under way to determine at what rank and with what benefits he will be retired.
Mulligan said he will work with other lawyers to determine how much must be paid in restitution. ''Fecteau has always expressed a desire'' to pay for the damage he caused.
Mulligan said the plea agreement ''affords Lt. Col. Fecteau the opportunity to get back on track,'' noting his record will be cleared in two years if he stays out of trouble.
Fecteau originally faced 13 charges for defacing vehicles at the Denver airport from January to July 2005. Fecteau admitted to investigators he had vandalized cars starting around the time of the November 2004 election, but pleaded guilty to a single charge of criminal mischief that named all 13 victims.
Fecteau blacked out pro-Bush bumper stickers, then spray-painted an expletive over them.
After the charges became public, Fecteau was removed as director of operations for reserve forces at the National Security Space Institute at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
Sounds suspiciously French.
has submitted his retirement papers
Screw that, kick him out with an Other-Than-Honorable discharge.
For spray painting over bumper stickers? I don't think so.
Sounds pretty dishonorable.
And petty, immature, extremist...
Now you're sounding like a liberal.
What the h*ll posessed him?
No pension,no VA benefits,no health coverage,bad conduct discharge....
And on every job application,when asked "have you ever been convicted of a felony?",he must answer
YES!
That'll probably be the most expensive temper tantrum you'll ever have,pal!
could be made into "fece at u."
Someone who lacks restraint really oughnt be in control of a multimillion dollar flying weapon, ought he?
You can bet that paint didn't get just the stickers but the vehicles as well. He at least needed some jail time.
...right after he got caught!
What am I missing here? It sounds like they are letting him off easy just SO he can retire with benefits.
Nothing unusual here.
Funny how a person can be so smart in some ways and so stupid in others. We dont have idiots flying around in our planes and yet this guy thought he was performing some great act by malisciously going around vandalising cars.
He has thrown away a career and a reputation for a childish act. I could almost feel sorry for him, but I know that today: even after his conviction: He would still vote for Kennedy or Kerry if given the opportunity. I guess its true that no matter how much intelligence you have its still possible to be a damned fool.
After he expressed his desire to destroy the property to begin with.
Sentence him to commuinity service handing out Republican literature.
No retirement, no benefits. He dishonored himself and the uniform he wore.
Felony conviction? He can no longer vote.
Does it say he did this while in uniform?
Those silver leafs ought to mean something. This is not some young Lt. too young to know better. Wonder if they did a breath-test?
Just remember this incident the next time an "Our boys couldn't possibly have done that!" thread comes up. The military is a reflection of the larger society.
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