Attorney: 2nd DI innocent of abusing recruits
By Elliot Spagat - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Sep 11, 2007 6:30:08 EDT

SAN DIEGO — A Marine drill instructor and Iraq war veteran is innocent of 18 counts of abusing recruits in a case of “guilt by association,” his attorney insisted Monday.

Sgt. Brian M. Wendel declined to enter a plea at his arraignment hearing.

Wendel, 30, was charged with two counts of assault, three of maltreatment and one of damaging personal property, plus charges of concealing serious offenses, dereliction of duty and making false official statements.

Outside the courtroom, his attorney insisted that Wendel had been unfairly linked to another drill instructor on his team, Sgt. Jerrod M. Glass, who was charged last month with 225 counts of abusing recruits in 110 alleged incidents from Dec. 23, 2006, to Feb. 10.

“This is one of those cases of guilt by association,” said the attorney, Capt. Jahn Olson.

No recruit was seriously injured, according to the Marine Corps.

The judge set a Dec. 10 court-martial date. Wendel, who remains on active duty, faces up to a year’s confinement if convicted.

Glass, a drill instructor for less than a year at the time of the alleged mistreatment, was relieved of duty in February. His court-martial is set for Nov. 8.

A third drill instructor also faces a court-martial in the case, and a fourth was disciplined and reassigned to administrative duty.

Ellie