Marine Corps Jury Finds Drill Instructor Guilty for the Mistreatment of Recruit

A Marine Corps. jury found Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix guilty of mistreating recruit Raheel Siddiqui, who died in a fall at the Parris Island, South Carolina base in 2016, on Thursday. Today, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

As The Detroit Free Press reports, Felix was accused of being violent towards recruits, including punching and choking them. He was also accused of targeting Muslim recruits and calling them "terrorists."

The eight-member jury deliberated for a day before finding the former drill instructor guilty of eight counts of violating training orders linked to the treatment of multiple recruits over a two-year period, and making false statements. He was also found guilty of being drunk and disorderly. However, Felix was found not guilty of an obstruction of justice charge.

The jury also didn't find Felix guilty on charges related to calling Siddiqui a "terrorist" because witnesses testified that it could have been a joke. One of the charges he was convicted on was related to ordering Lance Cpl. Ameer Bourmeche, who is Muslim, to do exercises in a shower room without lights on and to climb into an industrial dryer.

Siddiqui died last year after a three-story fall in a stairwell at the Parris Island base. Investigators said he threatened suicide days before his death. He later said he wanted to leave the Marines because he didn't want to get hit again. According to investigators, officials were not told about his abuse allegations.

On March 18, 2016, Siddiqui sought medical attention after complaining that his throat was bleeding. Investigators said Felix ordered Siddiqui to run laps, after which he collapsed. Felix then slapped him once. Witnesses said they could hear it and said Siddiqui ran out an exterior door.

Investigators said Siddiqui jumped over a stairwell railing, his foot catching on the railing and fell three stories. The 20-year-old, who was from Taylor, Michigan, died from his injuries.

The local coroner and Marines have concluded his death as a suicide, but his family and Rep. Debbie Dingell has rejected, telling the Free Press he was prepared for the hardships of boot camp and would never take his life as a faithful Muslim.

According to Michigan Radio, the 34-year-old Felix was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was dishonorably discharged.

In October, Siddiqui's family field a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit against the government for "negligence on multiple levels of command."

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