Marine Said to Plead Guilty to Charges

SAN DIEGO - A Camp Pendleton Marine will plead guilty next week for his role in the killing of an Iraqi man last April, his father said Friday.

Pfc. John J. Jodka, 20, of Encinitas will plead guilty to assault and obstruction of justice, John Jodka told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. Murder, kidnapping and other charges will be dropped in exchange for the plea, the elder Jodka said.

Jodka is one of seven Marines and one Navy corpsman who were charged in the murder of Hashim Ibrahim Awad in the town of Hamdania, west of Baghdad. As part of a separate plea negotiation, the corpsman recently testified about what he remembers from the incident.

Jodka would be the first Marine to plead guilty in the case.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos, a Navy corpsman on patrol with the Marines, pleaded guilty Oct. 6 to kidnapping and conspiracy under a deal with prosecutors. He agreed to testify at his court-martial and during upcoming proceedings about what he witnessed.

Details of Jodka's plea negotiations were not disclosed by order of the judge in the case, Jodka's father said. He added that his son would not be sentenced next week.

Jodka's attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment. Marine Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Sean Gibson said it would be inappropriate to discuss any potential negotiations between the government and the defense.