TWO MPS TO FACE COURT-MARTIAL

Fort Bragg's commanding general on Wednesday referred drug charges against
two military police officers to court-martial.

Spc. Robert Ybarra and Spc. Christina Nettles, both MPs in the 16th
Military Police Brigade, will go to trial this fall, a Fort Bragg
spokeswoman said. Dates have not been set.

Lt. Gen. Dan K. McNeill, commander of Fort Bragg and the 18th Airborne
Corps, followed the recommendations of investigating officers and others
following July evidence hearings for Ybarra and Nettles.

Nettles will be arraigned today. She is charged with two counts of using
Ecstasy, obstruction of justice and dereliction of duty. She is 21 and
serves in the 118th Military Police Company.

Ybarra will be arraigned Monday. He is charged with three counts of
distributing Ecstasy, using Ecstasy, LSD and marijuana and communicating a
threat.

Ybarra is 22 and is in the 65th Military Police Company.

Ybarra and Nettles face the most serious of charges among the 13 Fort Bragg
MPs facing punishments for drug activity.

Two other MPs, Spc. Kevin Whitehead and Spc. Lisandro Grullon will be tried
in September by a special court-martial empowered to award a bad conduct
discharge.

Whitehead is charged with two counts of using Ecstasy and making a false
official statement.

He is 24 and is in the 118th Military Police Company.

Grullon is charged with using Ecstasy and LSD and distributing Ecstasy.

Others charged

Grullon, who is 24, is assigned to the 42nd Military Police Detachment.

A fifth MP, whose name has not been released, refused an Article 15
nonjudicial punishment and will also face the possibility of court-martial.

Eight others will receive lesser punishments for using Ecstasy, LSD or
marijuana.