OKINAWA CITY, Okinawa — Two more charges were lodged in a Japanese court Thursday against a 28-year-old former Marine who previously pleaded guilty to illegally entering Camp Foster and stealing a car owned by a Marine.
Christopher Chad Hoskins already was charged with illegal entry and theft and now faces additional theft charges. Hoskins, a Louisiana native who is unemployed, does not fall under the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement.
One of the two new charges alleges Hoskins stole items valued at $970 from a car parked in the Plaza Housing Area on Aug. 26.
The second charge accuses Hoskins of the theft of items valued at $5,760 from a church in Kitanakagusuku in November 2006. Prosecutor Mutsuro Ozono said Hoskins’ DNA matches that of blood left on a glass cabinet in the Jehovah’s Witnesses church.
Hoskins was indicted in September on the charges of car theft and stealing items inside the car, worth a total of $3,350. At the time, he was on probation after a 2007 conviction for illegally entering a military base.
Hoskins’ defense attorney, Tomoshige Hata, told the court Hoskins’ actions were induced by alcohol and that his problematic behavior stemmed from childhood trauma. He added that no adequate counseling was available on the island for Hoskins because of the language barrier and his non-SOFA status.
Hoskins is expected to testify at the next hearing, set for Feb. 2.
