Testimony begins in gang initiation hearing

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Testimony begins in gang initiation hearing
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, December 18, 2007

RAMSTEIN, Germany — Airman Nicholas A. Sims delivered his “trademark” kidney punches to the lower backs of Army Sgt. Juwan Johnson and other Kaiserslautern-area troops during initiation ceremonies into the Gangster Disciples, an eyewitness to the beatings testified Monday.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Themitrios Saroglou gave the testimony during Sims’ Article 32 hearing. Saroglou was ordered to testify at the hearing and was given testimonial immunity. Sims has been charged with grievous bodily harm, aggravated assault and failure to obey a lawful order for his alleged participation in the Gangster Disciples and the July 3, 2005, beating of Johnson. On the morning of July 4, 2005, Johnson was found dead in his barracks room, and his cause of death was later determined to be multiple blunt force injuries.

Sims, who at the time of Johnson’s death was a staff sergeant, is alleged to be one of nine current or former Kaiserslautern-area troops who beat Johnson for six minutes during a Gangster Disciples initiation. Specifically, Sims hit Johnson more than 30 times, including a few kicks, Saroglou said.

Sims could also face murder charges in Johnson’s death. However, Saroglou testified that when people were punching Johnson, the intent was not to kill him.

Saroglou, who formerly served at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and now is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was questioned on the witness stand for roughly three hours. Early in his testimony, Saroglou told of his own initiation into a group he knew early on as “BOSS,” which stands for Brothers of the Strong Struggle. Gang experts in other hearings for the Johnson case have testified that BOSS is an acronym commonly associated with the Gangster Disciples.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51076