Sailor indicted in death of cab driver

[unhappycamper]

Sailor indicted in death of cab driver
By Shino Yuasa - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 24, 2008 18:42:11 EDT

TOKYO — A U.S. sailor was charged Thursday with robbery, murder and illegal possession of a weapon in the stabbing death of a taxi driver, one of a series of alleged crimes involving American service members that has stirred anger in Japan.

Police said Olatunbosun Ugbogu, a Nigerian citizen serving in the Navy, confessed to stabbing to death Masaaki Takahashi, 61, near a U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on March 19.

Court officials said the sailor, who served on the guided-missile cruiser Cowpens, faces a possible death sentence if convicted.

Ugbogu, 22, was taken into U.S. custody after Navy authorities apprehended him in Tokyo on March 22 on an earlier desertion charge. Navy and Japanese authorities first questioned him about the killing after a credit card in his name was allegedly found in the victim’s car.

Ugbogu was handed over to Japanese authorities earlier this month under a bilateral security pact.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/04/ap_taxi_indict_042408/