Former Army lawyer pleads guilty to destroying government property

A former Military officer and navy lawyer has pleaded responsible to federal costs involving the destruction of navy property and mendacity to federal investigators.

First Lt. Manfredo Martin-Michael Madrigal III was assigned to the Military’s Choose Advocate Common’s (JAG) Authorized Heart and Faculty in 2022, the place his job was to create coaching supplies, whereas awaiting discharge for failing to reveal a earlier drunk driving conviction.

Following his plea Wednesday, the 38-year-old man now faces sentencing on one depend of destruction of presidency supplies and three counts of creating a false assertion, in keeping with court docket paperwork. A cost of cyberstalking, witness intimidation and home violence might be dismissed as a part of his plea settlement.

Madrigal filmed himself deleting authorized coaching supplies associated to nationwide safety with out permission, in keeping with court docket paperwork. He texted the video of the act to a lady who was his former romantic companion and a fellow navy member.

The video recorded him saying, “You thought you can simply take away me?” amongst different expletives concerning the Military.

The lieutenant then despatched one other textual content message and voicemail to the identical girl saying, “Ya, Russia has reached out to me,” and that he deliberate to journey to the nation.

Madrigal’s legal professional, John N. Maher, advised McClatchy Information in an emailed assertion that the investigation started below suspicion of nationwide safety espionage.

Maher mentioned on the time of the incidents his shopper was battling post-traumatic stress dysfunction that arose from his fight service and he was “ingesting to extra.” He has been sober for 2 years following the incidents, Maher mentioned.

Earlier than his Feb. 22, 2022, discharge, Madrigal once more messaged the girl, saying Russian officers in Washington, D.C., had reached him and “they wish to know what I do know,” in keeping with court docket paperwork.

Nevertheless, the identical court docket filings reveal that no cellphone data point out Russian officers contacted Madrigal. The cellphone data do present that Madrigal known as the Russian embassy in Washington on the identical day he deleted the coaching supplies, and spoke to somebody for practically three minutes, in keeping with court docket paperwork.

Madrigal beforehand served as an enlisted paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and as a noncommissioned officer with the seventy fifth Ranger Regiment, his legal professional mentioned.

Prosecutors mentioned in court docket filings that Madrigal had “served abroad on delicate operations” previous to his task on the JAG faculty.

Madrigal claimed he had no unreported contact with a overseas nationwide on his out-processing kinds.

In April and Might 2022, he advised FBI brokers he didn’t delete any Military coaching paperwork and had by no means spoken with a overseas nationwide on the Russian embassy, in keeping with court docket paperwork.

Madrigal was arrested in August 2022 on cyberstalking costs.

FBI brokers discovered he had threatened the girl he’d beforehand despatched the video and messages. Data point out he despatched messages threatening her “profession, household and pets” between late 2021 and mid-2022.

A few of the messages included a collection of numbers and letters which had been recognized as codes and passwords the girl used to entry her private accounts, condominium complicated and her car license plate quantity.

He additionally despatched the girl sexually specific images of her that she didn’t know he possessed, in keeping with court docket paperwork.

Additionally in August 2022, Madrigal threatened one other girl, additionally a former romantic companion, by pointing a pistol at her head, forcing her to provide FBI brokers false details about him, in keeping with court docket paperwork.