Navy sailor accused of torching billion dollar warship denies allegations: lawyer

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The sailor indicted by the US Navy in connection with a fire that destroyed the warship USS Bonhomme Richard in 2020 has “absolutely” denied any allegation of wrongdoing in the case, his lawyer told Fox News.

The unidentified sailor, a member of the ship’s crew at the time, was charged with starting the fire on July 12, 2020. The charges are based on evidence gathered during an investigation, the spokesperson said. word of the Navy, Cmdr. Sean Robertson said in a statement.

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Lt. Col. Gary S. Barthel, of the Military Law Center, represents the sailor and he told Fox News he saw no evidence against his client.

“It has been an obviously difficult time for my client,” said Barthel, noting that his client was “presumed innocent”. The sailor was just charged on Thursday, which means Barthel is still at the start of the defense planning process.

A fire burns on the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Station San Diego July 12, 2020 in San Diego, California. An explosion occurred on board the ship and several injuries were reported. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

“They charged him, but we haven’t been discovered yet,” Barthel told Fox News. He will receive evidence and review it over the next two weeks, during which time hell will be able to figure out how best to defend his client, who only served two years in the Navy, according to Barthel. Task & Purpose first reported that Barthel’s client denies the allegations.

Arson was suspected to be behind the blaze and a sailor was questioned, a senior defense official said weeks after the blaze.

Barthel was selected in September 2020 to represent the sailor, whom Barthel and Robertson declined to name or identify.

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Vice Admiral Steve Koehler, Commander of the U.S. Third Fleet, is considering court martial prosecution. He ordered a preliminary hearing during which an impartial hearing officer will make the decisions and recommendations required by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or UCMJ, including “whether or not there are probable grounds to believe that” an offense has been committed and offer a recommendation as to the disposition of the case, ”the Navy statement said.

The number of discoveries will determine how quickly the process moves forward, but a preliminary hearing has yet to be set, indicating that Barthel is still weeks away from setting foot in a courtroom.

Barthel expects the government to call a number of experts in connection with an arson attack to testify about the evidence.

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The amphibious assault ship fire caused billions of dollars in damage. It raged for four days and was the worst U.S. Navy warship fire outside of fighting in recent memory.

The ship was eventually decommissioned. Its repair would have cost $ 2.5 billion to $ 3 billion and would have taken five to seven years, said Rear Admiral Eric H. Ver Hage of the Navy Regional Maintenance Center at the time.

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“We did not take this decision lightly,” then Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite said last year. “After a thorough physical assessment in which various action plans were considered and evaluated, we came to the conclusion that it is not fiscally responsible to restore it.”

Fox News Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

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