Accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins hopes to get a dishonorable discharge in a plea bargain with the U.S. military to avoid imprisonment, diplomatic sources said Sunday.
The sources said Jenkins, 64, has told Japanese government officials of his intent. He is believed also to have conveyed it to Capt. James Culp, an independent U.S. military lawyer who has met him in Tokyo several times.
Jenkins, a U.S. Army sergeant married to Hitomi Soga, a former abductee in North Korea, has been hospitalized in Tokyo since arriving from Jakarta on July 18. He is charged with desertion, aiding the enemy, encouraging disloyalty and soliciting other personnel to desert.