Two more sailors from the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan’s nuclear department have pleaded guilty to charges involving possessing and distributing illegal drugs, including the hallucinogen LSD.
One of them has copped to a charge that he brought LSD aboard the Japan-based carrier.
Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear Power) 3rd Class Philip S. Colegrove pleaded guilty in January to distributing LSD and MDMA — a drug better known by its street names “ecstasy" or “extasy” — in Tokyo, Yokohama and the Reagan’s homeport of Yokosuka from January 2017 to February 2018, according to a copy of his plea deal provided to Navy Times.
Colegrove also pleaded guilty to “wrongfully” bringing LSD aboard the carrier in that time span, according to charge sheets.
A military judge sentenced him at court-martial to 10 months confinement, reduction in rank to E-1 and a bad-conduct discharge, according to Cmdr. Reann Mommsen, a spokeswoman for U.S. Naval Forces Japan.
Colegrove’s plea deal, however, limits his time behind bars to nine months.
RELATED
Last month as part of his plea deal, Electrician’s Mate (Nuclear Power) 2nd Class Sean M. Gevero also admitted to possessing nandrolone decanoate, an anabolic steroid, according to Navy records.
He initially faced a charge for distributing LSD as well.
A judge sentenced him to 90 days of confinement, reduction to E-1 and a bad-conduct discharge, but his plea deal drops the discharge and includes an administrative separation board waiver, according to Mommsen.
Attorneys for Colegrove and Gevero declined comment, Mommsen said.
Those plea deals bring to four the number of Reagan sailors convicted for their roles in what prosecutors purport to be a drug ring.
A fifth sailor whose identity has not been made public is awaiting an Article 32 hearing. An investigating officer will sift through evidence and then make a recommendation to superiors on whether the case should go to a court-martial or not.
The Navy generally does not identify sailors before formal charges are referred to a military court.
Ten other sailors from the Reagan’s reactor department were administratively disciplined late last year for their ties to the drug ring, 7th Fleet officials said.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
