US soldier who fled to North Korea to plead guilty to desertion

Pvt Travis King has agreed to a plea deal that will see some of the charges against him dropped, his lawyer said.

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The army filed 14 charges against Mr King for the illegal crossing in July 2023. He plans to enter a guilty plea to five charges, including desertion and assault, as part of a plea deal.

"He will plead not guilty to the remaining offenses, which the Army will withdraw and dismiss," his lawyer Franklin Rosenblatt said in a statement to BBC News.

His plea and sentencing hearing will take place on 20 September at a military base in Fort Bliss, Texas.

"Travis’s guilty plea will be entered at a general court-martial," Mr Rosenblatt said in an emailed statement on Monday.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8dpyl5j5vmo

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