Former Commander of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Sentenced to Prison

According to a Department of Justice press release dated October 9, 2020, a former Commander of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) was sentenced to prison for obstructing justice and making false statements. Captain John Nettleton, 53, of Jacksonville, Florida was sentenced to 24 months in prison related to his actions during the Navy’s investigation of the death of Christopher M. Tur, the Loss Prevention Safety Manager at GTMO’s Naval Exchange. 

Tur was found drowned in the waters of Guantanamo Bay in 2015 and it was determined that he had sustained injuries prior to his drowning, under the watch of Nettleton. When an investigation into Tur’s death was launched, it was ultimately determined that Nettleton withheld information from the investigators.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in the same press release, “Nettleton misled and obstructed the investigators attempting to determine what happened to Mr. Tur, and this sentence ensures that he will pay a heavy price. That price, however, pales in comparison to that paid by the family of Mr. Tur, whose pain was compounded by Nettleton’s actions.  The Department of Justice was proud to work closely with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) to hold Nettleton accountable for his obstruction, concealment, and false statements.”

After Tur confronted Nettleton about engaging in an extramarital affair with his spouse at the GTMO Officer’s Club, the two men engaged in a physical altercation that left Tur injured. Nettleton then lied about last seeing Tur in the Officer’s Club and not at his private residence, where the altercation occurred. He also failed to report the extramarital affair or Tur’s injuries. 

Special Agent in Charge Thomas Cannizzo of the NCIS Southeast Field Office said, “By deliberately misleading NCIS in the search for Mr. Tur and the ensuing investigation into the circumstances of his death, Captain Nettleton delayed justice and wasted valuable Department of the Navy resources. NCIS is dedicated to holding accountable those who unlawfully impede investigations."

NCIS investigated the case and Deputy Chiefs Todd Gee and Peter M. Nothstein of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case.