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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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September 22nd,
2006 - Passaro Found Guilty of Assault |
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Passaro Found Guilty of Assault By Associated Press September 22nd, 2006 Lillington, N.C. - David
Passaro, a former CIA contractor convicted last month in the beating of an
Afghan prisoner who later died, was convicted Friday of assaulting a former
girlfriend. Passaro, 40, was also found
guilty of injury to personal property and misdemeanor larceny, said Harnett
County district court clerk Suzette Smith. He was sentenced to 55 days in
jail, which will be served concurrently with whatever federal sentence he
receives for the 2003 Afghan beating. Prosecutors said Bonnie
Heart told Harnett County authorities in June 2005 that Passaro assaulted her
in Lillington after they had a dispute about some phone calls. She said
Passaro threw her into a hallway, pushed her into a door and into a glass
storm door, causing her to fall down a flight of stairs. Smith said Passaro also
plans to appeal. Last month, Passaro was
convicted in federal court with felony assault with a dangerous weapon and
three counts of misdemeanor assault. Prosecutors said Passaro beat a detainee
named Abdul Wali during two days of interrogations at an Army base in
northern Afghanistan. Wali later died in custody. Passaro has not yet been
sentenced, but faces up to 11 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He was the
first American civilian charged with mistreating a detainee during the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Defense lawyers have filed a
motion asking a federal judge to enter a judgment of acquittal for Passaro,
arguing that a juror's post-trial comments suggest their verdict was not
backed by evidence presented at trial. Federal prosecutors said in a response
that such a comment was not a grounds for an acquittal. External link: http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/statewide_news/?SecID=332&ArID=127177 |