Erin – Page 8 – Conduct Unbecoming

012 US v. Eppes

Love may lift us up where we belong, where eagles fly, but wedding planning can drag us right back down to earth. In 2012, Air Force Captain Tyler Eppes planned his dream nuptials with his bride-to-be. The destination wedding was pricey, and he tried to find ways his dearly beloved could save a few dollars. A room block wouldn’t cut it, and Eppes pulled some strings to waive taxes in the room and fly his buddies in for free. And by pulling strings, I mean he forged documents and committed fraud. The wedding festivities were just the tip of the fraud iceberg, and in the blink of an eye, Captain Tyler Eppes went from saying “I do” in his vows to “I did” in his guilty plea hearing.

I used the appellate court opinions:
AFCCA, CAAF

SCOTUS (1)(2)(3)

And referenced information from:
Cornell Law School, Military One Source, Inspectors General, AFOSI, AF.mil (1)(2), Wikipedia.

This episode discussed prescription drug misuse. If you, or someone you know, struggle with substance use, the SAMHSA National Helpline can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP, and their treatment locator is available online.

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google · Amazon Music · I Heart · Audacy

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share, rate and review it wherever you listen to podcasts. I’m happy to receive constructive feedback or case suggestions at conductunbecomingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Conduct Unbecoming is a podcast where I get to talk about interesting crimes and cases that involve US military service members. I research, write, and produce the podcast myself… the opinions expressed are my own and, perhaps it’s obvious, Conduct Unbecoming is not approved, endorsed or authorized by the Department of Defense. I am not a military JAG and have never been a military JAG. While I’m a practicing attorney, I don’t do direct criminal defense. This podcast is a passion project, not legal advice or expert opinion.

011 US v. Bowen

In the lead up to Thanksgiving 2013, the Edwards Air Force base community prepared for the four day weekend by throwing a wild party. The mission was clear: wear anything but clothes, play drinking games, rage.

But some party attendees took that final piece a little… too literally.

Neighbors called security forces to report a loud crashing sound and screaming that woke them around 6 AM. Security forces arrived to find a vomit streaked car and a woman clinging to life.

I used the appellate court opinions:
AFCCA, CAAF

Appellate Brief

And referenced information from:
Edwards AF Base, Military.com, Reuters, Military One Source, BAC Calculator, Wikipedia 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron

If you are experiencing domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-SAFE) to find resources and support in your area. Additional resources, by state, are available on womenshealth.gov.

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google · Amazon Music · I Heart · Audacy

010 US v. Martin

In the wake of online posts containing national secrets, the Department of Defense scrambled to identify and contain a leak. They knew it was likely one of their own, and they began to look for potential insider threats. What they found would be a shocking abuse of the trust placed in a young man they thought they knew. And if you’re thinking this is about the arrest of an Air National Guardsman on April 13th, 2023… you’d be wrong.

I used the appellate court opinion
NMCCA

CAAF Appeal (1)(2), and the charge sheet, and the case study (1)(2)

And referenced information from:
Syracuse.com, ABC News (1)(2), NY Post, Military News, Britannica, CBS News, the NY Times, Military.com (1)(2), Relias Media, Clearance Jobs, DC Security Clearance Consultants, Navy.com, Office of Personnel Management, and Stripes.

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google · Amazon Music · I Heart · Audacy

009 CA v. Krueger

Vultures get a bad rap. They’re regarded as bad omens, as harbingers of death or destruction. In reality, they’re critical to our ecosystem. Vultures dispose of the gnarliest of pathogens and toxins, including anthrax, and recycle nutrients for plants to use. They do the dirty work of cleaning up death; in the case of Lieutenant Curtis Krueger, they did the dirty work of uncovering a murder.

I relied on the appellate court opinion
CA v. Krueger

And referenced articles from:
Desert Sun (1)(2), Marine Corps Times (1)(2), NBC Los Angles. I’m happy to share additional information about vultures in Joshua Tree, enlisting at 17, human trafficking, and human smuggling.

If you see warning signs of human trafficking, or if you are a victim of trafficking seeking support, the National Human Trafficking Hotline is available at 1-888-3737-888. This can be used to report suspected human trafficking, or to access local services. Please add this number to your contacts list so you have it if you need it.

This episode discussed addiction to prescription drugs. If you, or someone you know is struggling with substance use, the SAMHSA National Helpline can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP and their treatment locator is available online.

Lastly, although Lt. Krueger treated suicidal ideation as a convenient excuse for his disappearances, Legal Beagles know it’s a serious matter. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is always available online and by phone (Dial 988). They even offer a specific Veteran Crisis Line online and by phone (Dial 988 and press 1).

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google · Amazon Music

008 US v. Herrmann

You might imagine that the sound of freefall is relatively quiet. Being 2 miles above the birds, traffic noises, and other day-to-day auditory interruptions, all you hear is the sound of the wind rushing past you as you reapproach the earth.

It’s in that moment when you open your parachute and you experience lift that the world finally goes quiet. Sergeant Herrmann was tasked with inspecting parachutes and ensuring that, if someone’s main parachute failed, the reserve chutes worn by paratroopers would work… their last line of defense against gravity. It’s a potentially life or death task… and one Sergeant Herrmann chose to skip.

I relied on the court opinions:
ACCA; CAAF; Government’s CAAF Brief; Gutierrez; White; Civilian Appellate Counsel Briefs (1)(2); SCOTUS history (1)(2).

And referenced articles about the T-11 Reserve Parachute, Army Jump School, Operation Toy Drop

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google

007 US v. Wilson

It may sound like the Marine Corps has a lot of people in it – at just over 170,000 active duty Marines. But the reality is that if you stay in long enough, you really do run into the same people over and over again. And with the constant moves and the challenges that come with temporary living, you often rely on the kindness of strangers… and friends. But when is someone a little too close to your family? The Wilson family took a subordinate’s family under their wing – they offered them a space to do their laundry and engage socially. But, as one child alleged, all of this came at a cost. According to this family, Colonel Wilson not only abused their trust, but he also abused their six-year-old.

I relied on the court opinion:
NMCCA

And referenced articles from Newsweek, Marine Corps Times (1)(2)(3), ABC (1)(2), The Daily Beast, Military.com, and Stripes.

The 2019 UCMJ and 2021 NDAA are also available.

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google

One last update from this case: the “Pointer” family dropped the lawsuit against the United States Marine Corps they originally filed in 2018.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share, rate and review it wherever you listen to podcasts. I’m happy to receive constructive feedback or case suggestions at conductunbecomingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: I am not a military JAG and have never been a military JAG. While I’m a practicing attorney, I don’t do direct criminal defense. I am an avid true crime listener and realized there was a gap in coverage of these sorts of crimes; this podcast is a passion project, not legal advice or expert opinions. Opinions expressed in this podcast are my own and are not endorsed by the DOD or any members of the military.

006 US v. Irvin

A young man struggled to put together a plausible defense to allegations against him in the death of his young love. He told investigators repeatedly that he didn’t know what happened… that when he’d gone to bed, she was alive but… when he awoke, he found her dead – unresponsive and cold. This is a summary of The Invisible Guest, a movie Timothy Irvin recommended on social media in January of this year.

Perhaps it felt familiar to Irvin, a Marine who struggled to explain the suspicious death of his 19 year old wife. In 2015, Irvin told investigators on Okinawa that he awoke to his wife, unresponsive and cold. He said he loved her. He said he missed her.

He also said he held his hand over her mouth until she went limp.

I relied on the court opinions from the Navy Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals: (1)(2)

And referenced a number of articles: Stripes (1)(2), Military.com (1)(2), Athletic.net, Forrest Funeral Home, VA.gov, TASAnet.com.

If you are currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan, please visit the MCCS Domestic Abuse page.

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google

005 NC v. Hennis

Despite all the uncertainties that come with being in a military family there are some things that stay refreshingly the same. A permanent change of duty station will always be challenging, another spouse will always be trying to sell you a product, and you generally trust the other military families who live around you. Timothy Hennis abused that trust and leveraged it to commit murder… murder that he got away with for nearly 25 years.

I relied on the court opinion from the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces: CAAF

And referenced a number of articles. Wikipedia, The New Yorker, CNN, ABC News (1)(2), Army Times, Fox, Fay Observer, DD 214 statistics, Veterans Aid Benefits.

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google

004 US v. Darnall

We’ve all heard the stories of sailors using the stars to navigate their ships to distant shores – establishing trade routes, discovering new lands, and returning safely home, hopefully without scurvy. Continuing that proud tradition, Brandon Darnall, a Navy Sailor, set up a trade network of “spice” from a foreign land under the brilliant night sky of the California high desert. But this spice wasn’t cinnamon or ginger – it was methylone, an analogue of ecstasy.

I relied on the court opinions:
NMCCA // CAAF

And referenced this DOD information.

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google

003 US v. Turner

As 2014 wound down, the Turner family spent their holidays like millions of other folks in the United States – they spent time with loved ones and celebrated the festivities. They took the time to make the long drive from Colorado Springs down to Georgia and then up to Tennessee, to visit with those who had profound impacts upon their lives. But, on New Year’s Day, while the rest of the world made resolutions and committed to being better versions of themselves in 2015, Malcolm and Annelyntherese Turner devolved into the worst versions of themselves and tried their hands at murder.

I relied heavily on the court opinions for my research:
ACCA
CAAF

I also referenced articles from:

The Leaf Chronicle (1)(2)(3)(4)
Military Times
Army Times

Links to Listen:

Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Google

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review it wherever you listen to podcasts. I’m happy to receive constructive feedback or case suggestions at conductunbecomingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: I am not a military JAG and have never been a military JAG. While I’m a practicing attorney, I don’t do direct criminal defense. I am an avid true crime listener and realized there was a gap in coverage of these sorts of crimes; this podcast is a passion project, not legal advice or expert opinions.