Marine plans to plead guilty to charges after posting videos critical of US withdrawal from Afghanistan
By Ellie Kaufman, CNN
Updated 9:55 AM ET, Wed October 13, 2021
(CNN)A Marine who posted videos criticizing the US military's handling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan plans to plead guilty to six charges later this week during a special court martial at Camp Lejeune, according to the Marine's attorney Tim Parlatore.
Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller was charged with six counts, including "contempt towards officials," "disrespect toward superior commissioned officers," and "dereliction in the performance of duties," after videos of him criticizing military leaders about their handling of the withdrawal went viral.
Scheller, who has been in the US Marine Corps since 2005, stands to lose pay and other military benefits if he receives a discharge that is not honorable from the military.
His attorneys are working on a plea deal in which Scheller would receive either an honorable discharge or a general discharge with honorable conditions, which would allow him to keep certain military rights and benefits even after he is separated from the service, Parlatore told CNN in a phone interview.
But if he receives anything aside from an honorable discharge, he stands to lose military privileges including qualifying for the GI bill and qualifying for VA and medical benefits. With less than 20 years of service in the military, if he is separated under any discharge, even honorable, he will not receive any of the military retirement benefits.
Scheller is also facing jail time. Because Scheller is being tried in a special court martial, his maximum confinement is limited to one year, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
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