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Third Marine scheduled for hazing court-martial

William Cole

A third and final court-martial trial in hazing accusations preceding the suicide death of Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew in Afghanistan is scheduled for Tuesday at the Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps base, officials said.

 Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III, 22, is charged with humiliating Lew, dereliction and maltreatment for allegedly ordering Lew to do push-ups and leg lifts with a sandbag, pouring sand on his face and placing his boot on Lew’s back the night he killed himself.

Three Hawaii Marines faced multiple charges ranging from abuse and humiliation to assault and dereliction of duty in the hours preceding the death of Lew, 21, who, along with the others, was part of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment at Kaneohe Bay.

Last week, a military jury of three officers and five enlisted Marines found Sgt. Benjamin Johns, 26, not guilty of charges of dereliction and of humiliating and demeaning Lew.

The first Marine to go to court-martial trial in the case, Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby, 21, reached a plea deal Jan. 30 and was sentenced to 30 days confinement and a pay grade reduction for assaulting Lew.

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