US Army Contractor Guilty of Assaulting Japanese Women Gets Suspended Sentence

After an Aomori Prefecture district court found 41-year-old John Roko Lee guilty of assaulting two female Japanese workers, the judge sentenced the US Army contractor to more than a year behind bars and hard labor, but suspended his sentence for three years.

The assault happened November 29, 2016, when Lee, an employee at the Shariki Communications Site, punched the workers and threatened one with a knife at the Misawa Inn, according to court documents.

Originally charged in March, Lee was set to spend a total of 18 months doing hard labor, but after the army contractor expressed remorse for his actions and paid $22,000 in restitution his sentence was suspended for three years, reported Kyodo News. 

US Army officials declined to offer any details on Lee’s position. He was found guilty of causing bodily injury and physical violence.

"This is a regrettable incident and our thoughts are with our two dedicated employees," Col. R. Scott Jobe, 35th Fighter Wing commander, said in a statement. "They are valued members of our Misawa family. The safety of our personnel is always a top priority."

Spokesman for the Aomori District Public Prosecutor's’ Office told Stars and Stripes that Lee’s actions were in clear violation of the Act on Punishment of Physical Violence and Others as well as the Firearms and Swords Control Law.

Lee’s employer, Shariki Communication Site, is a small military facility that is staffed by nearly 30 soldiers and more than 100 contractors, Stars and Stripes reported.