A military jury has found a drill instructor guilty of harassing and assaulting young recruits, particularly those who are Muslim.
He was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison.
NPR reports the Marine jury found Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix kicked and choked dozens of recruits. Felix was specifically accused of targeting three Muslim recruits including Raheel Siddiqui who died after a three-story fall down a stairway.
The jury found Felix guilty of slapping Siddiqui and forcing him to run laps despite asking for medical attention for a bleeding throat before his death, according to the Detroit Free Press
Felix was also found guilty of ordering another Muslim to climb into an industrial dryer which was turned on briefly.
One lieutenant during the trial described Felix as “drunk on power.”
“He wasn’t making Marines, he was breaking Marines,” Lt. Col. John Norman said during his closing arguments.
“In reality, they have thrown everything at the wall to see what runs down and what sticks,” Felix’s chief lawyer, Lt. Cmdr. Clay Bridges, said.
Felix also will lose all pay and be demoted to private. He will also be dishonorably discharged
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