Senior Chief Clayton Pressley III pleads guilty
We talked about Senior Chief Clayton Pressley III and his unique leadership style back in May when he was arrested on bank fraud and identity theft charges – he was using the identities of a couple of his subordinates to make loans with online lenders. Well, he pleaded guilty the other day according to WAVY;
According to releasable information from the Navy, Pressley enlisted in 1997. He has been awarded a bronze star and is attached to an explosive ordinance unit. A spokeswoman for the Navy told 10 On Your Side that as of today, Pressley is still active duty.
“EODCS Clayton Pressley currently remains on active duty. Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 6 is currently evaluating the situation to take appropriate action, and is committed to ensuring accountability for those who are found to have violated standards of conduct or broken the law,” Lt. Liz Dougherty, Public Affairs Officer for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 wrote in an email.
Sentencing is scheduled for January. Thanks to BNG for the link.
Category: Navy
AWOl coming soon!
How can he NOT be in the brig?
He likely will be, after the civilian authorities have had their fun.
No way this guy walks without at least RIR to E-1 and a BCD.
Not sure about that, SEA. Would take a court-martial to do that, and I don’t think that’s an option now.
He pleaded out in Federal court, not state. The Navy could still court-martial him if it were state charges; there’s no double-jeopardy there (state and Federal crimes are different crimes, even if for the same conduct). But since he pleaded out in Federal court, I’m guessing that his lawyer will argue double jeopardy if the Navy tries to court-martial him – and will IMO very likely win that argument.
I hope like hell I’m wrong. But I don’t think I am here, though I’m not positive. We need a JAG or former JAG to weigh in and give us the final word.
Now, if the Navy can find something else unrelated for which to court-martial him, that might be a different story. With someone like this, unrelated criminal activity is always a possibility.
I think you’re right. Since the Navy didn’t assume jurisdiction over the case, it may approach different charges down the road.
I’m sure there is something in the MCM that will cover that.
There are a whole bunch of things that exist only in UCMJ. GCM on those do not constitute double-jeopardy.
He is AWOL while in civilian custody.
Any number of regs about not running around a facility with a firearm not issued to you.
I doubt the fed charges include breaking various government things.
Any ranking person that said “stop” – failure to obey a superior.
They can GCM someone for saying “Go pound sand” to a superior. Plenty of UCMJ things can be applied to this turd.
One might imagine the prosecution having an office pool on “most creative UCMJ charge avoiding existing civilian ones”.
OK. Major screw-up on my part. I somehow conflated him with the shooter-idiot.
Must get more sleep.
Pretty sure if the Civilian Court Hammers his Dick Flat and lock him up The Navy will have an administrative board and reduce him and give him a BCD in absentia.
They will want to get him off the rolls ASAP.
Fak’heem. Hope the judge hammers his azz.
He should have to walk the plank!
Keelhaul him off the Nimitz
Cocksucker.
Keelhaul him from a Sub at test depth.
Twice.
He’s still walking around loose? Why is he not in the brig?
And he pulls this crap with 19+ years in.
Real smart, Senior Chief. Outstanding judgment.
He was just trying to turn his life around, I’m sure.
FWIW: here’s the guy’s guilty plea. If I’m reading that correctly, if he gets a hardass judge, he could be looking at doing serious time. (Lawyer readers, please correct me if I’m reading the plea deal wrong.)
https://lintvwavy.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/pressley-plea.pdf
However, his time in service (19yrs) brings up an interesting question: what about sanctuary under 10 USC 1176? If any of our mil JAGs/former JAGs can shed light here, I’d be much obliged.
IMO it would be an absolute travesty if the guy qualified for Navy retirement due to sanctuary (albeit delayed substantially while he’s in civilian confinement) because he pleaded guilty in civilian court vice facing a court-martial. But I’m not sure that’s not a possibility here.
I would like to know why he was charged in a civilian court vs. a general court martial?
Same here. Seems to me the Navy could and should have asserted jurisdiction under the UCMJ.
The Navy put this to rest in the Navy a number of years ago when a bunch of fat guys started getting tossed. The key wording that the Navy relied upon was the last sentence of the first paragraph of 1176 which states that they get to stay unless discharged under any other provision of law. I believe they successfully argued that since there existed a direct relationship between regulatory guidance (PFA standards) and statutory requirements to meet those regulatory standards (UCMJ), that fat bodies being administratively discharged at 19 years met the letter of the law with regards to “discharged under any other provision of law”.
I have a good feeling that an administrative discharge in this case wouldn’t be very difficult to justify utilizing that same reasoning.
I’m hoping you’re correct, and that makes common sense.
I’ve just learned over the years never to rely on seeing common sense when the courts get involved. Too many examples exist where common sense got tossed out the window and a judge interpreted the law in a particular way that was “beneficial to the poor individual concerned”.
Well, he won’t accrue any good time while ICA. As for the charges he plead to, according to the linked plea, he’s facing up to 30 years on charge 1 (unlikely he’ll get max) but the second charge is minimum 2 years – consecutive to any other sentence. Yea, he’s gone for a while. And deserves every minute. All for a bit over 24k in fraudulent loans. Think he’s got any regerts? (intentional misspelling)…
Every year a Continuation Board is conducted for all Chiefs, Senior Chiefs and Master Chiefs with over 19 years of service. They are reviewed for continuation of service, if selected (in the negative) you must retire by January of next year. It is a peer review board and focuses on behavior and performance and there is a list of NO GOs … I would be fairly convinced stealing from Sailors and identity theft is well covered in a NO GO!
The big NO GO’s are substantial drop or downward trend in performance, drug and alcohol, wife beating, lack of deck plate leadership and general douche baggatry!
This POS will not survive the next Continuation Board.
That is all!
Not debating that, MCPO – but as I read it, he may still qualify for retention until retirement eligible under 18 year sanctuary per 10 USC 1176. See my comment above.
A court-martial could (and IMO, should) order a punitive discharge for something like this, which would kill any possibility of retirement if approved by the CMCA. But I’m not sure a conviction in civilian court – even for a felony – does the same.
Hopefully one of our JAG/former JAG regular readers can enlighten us on how that might play out.
HONDO:
Retirement – YES
Continuation – NO
Courts Martial – Different story all together.
That is all!
REPORTING FROM TOP SECRET LOCATION IN CONUS!
Kinda the point I was bringing up, MCPO. If this guy ends up qualifying for retirement from the USN after pulling this stunt because he was prosecuted in Federal court via court-martialed, that IMO will be a huge miscarriage of justice and a travesty.
I’d like to think that both Navy regulations and Federal law have a way to prevent exactly that in such a case. But we’ve all previously seen truly stupid results from the way the two interact.
I would sure hope there is a way to prevent him from getting retirement if he is in sanctuary. I would hope the command is looking into it.
I wonder if they can discharge him in OTH conditions while he is serving time in prison. My understanding is that while serving time even in civ jail you do not accrue time toward retirement.
There is story about a WYARNG Lt who is in state prison for child molestation you tried to delay his confinement so he could retire but was denied and supposedly the Army has dropped the axe on him. I hope this ASS gets the same.
Hondo:
After talking about this case with the other old retired senior Jarheads and Squids here in my grid square (and none of us are JAGs/SJAs, by the way), we’re reasonably sure that the Navy will now roll in hot and administratively award this guy a DD/BCD based on his felony conviction in civilian court, which in turn will also vacate his Navy retirement pay and benefits and leave him with what he deserves: nothing.
Hopefully one of the Team TAH JAGs/SJAs will stop in soon and confirm this.
DD or BCD ain’t gonna happen as the result of an admin action. DD and/or BCD can only be issued as punitive discharges when they are included as part of a court-martial sentence. General/UOTH is the worst admin discharge possible.
It’s not clear to me that they can administratively discharge him while he’s in 18 year sanctuary. I’d hope there are provisions in Federal law that allow that, but if there aren’t 10 USC 1176 is pretty explicit in saying that the guy gets retained until retirement eligible (it does allow his release prior to 20 years if the individual “is sooner retired or discharged under any other provision of law”).
I’m seriously beginning to wonder if maybe this guy didn’t have a very savvy lawyer who just may have guaranteed him a retirement vice getting pitched at court-martial with nothing by pleading in Federal court vice going to court-martial. I hope I’m wrong.
The alternative, Hondo, is that the Navy would buy out at least 18 years with a lump sum payout. It’s been done before and can be done again.
He’s going to trial, regardless, so that may be one reason for a delay.
Seriously, this guy has some real mental issues if he was stupid enough to piss away 18-19 years of service to bilk a couple of subordinates.
He’ll get a job (GS-15 I’m sure) with the VA.
Apparently I was unknowingly transported to an alternate universe…
While I freely admit to being an old school, knuckle dragging, public school educated, ex A-ganger, bubblehead each and every Chief I had the honor of serving with could be trusted with my money, my wife and my life. My first division chief was a senior chief (Charlie Gordon MMSC/SS) who his entire division affectionately called “Super Chief” and it wasn’t because he brought us milk and cookies…
A sailor – any sailor – my Navy and my Country deserve better than this bottom feeding slime bag.
Hug-A-Root Clayton Pressley III
Oh, I’ve known a couple of khakis who were less than honorable.
Most prominent to mind are “Dirty Dave”, and an MSC who put his MSSN dink so he could bang said MSSN’s 18-year old wife. And yeah, when he got caught, the entire crew piled on his ass–HARD.
There are others, but you get the idea.
NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD YOU TRUST AN EVEN NUMBERED CHIEF!
That was rule #1 in my charge book.
Yes for Initiation purposes. A lot of Chiefs are still learning during the process. Which is owned by the CMDMC, Vetted by the Master Chiefs and Run by the Senior Chiefs.
My favorite day was Senior Chief’s Saturdays. Fun had by all, well maybe not all.
D-Bag
The Senior Chief had better keep working on that ‘tough guy’ face that he’s trying to make in the booking photo above.
He’s gonna need it where he’s headed.
???? Bag
gotta like the new orange overall uniform.
There is more to this fiasco than just those charges. There is still more to come.
Shame. My Star and Anchor tarnished by some low life E8.
Fuck Him.
Indeed, He shit on all of us in the goatlocker.
True, the Bond and Trust that the Goatlocker has with the Navy has suffered greatly due to his actions.
May He be Reaped in Neptune’s Harvest.
Now a Hymn for the E8
Him, Him, Fuck Him.
Great news story in the middle of slug season too. Fuck him.
He shit on any NCO/Petty Officer who is trusted to do right by those under them.
He was given a great deal of trust, and he shit all over his people.
Fuck. That. Dickhead.
Makes me wonder if he pulled the same shit as an LPO or Division Chief (or whatever EOD has) too…how long has he been scamming his peers and subordinates? Navy should have taken jurisdiction.
Yeah, I’d bet this wasn’t the first time he pulled this. Maybe the Navy can come up with other stuff to sink his ass.
I hope that E-8 Pressley is enjoying the “all he can eat buffet” in the local poundhimintheassprison that is being served up by Bubba, Thor, Julio and Mr. “Tiny” (along with the rest of the cellblock).
He was never a CPO… never took the CPO Creed seriously and fucked over people that he was supposed to care for in the process.
FUCK. HIM.
Just wait until he gets his welcome to prison ass-raping and the Ghetto Penthouse pillage his commissary funds.
Go fuck yourself Clayton Pressley III, you are a disgrace.
I don’t care who totally ruins his life, the civilian court or the Navy. I just want it done. His charges go to him for counsel, leadership, comfort, etc., and he gets their PII and rips them off. He is the moral equivalent of pond scum. How can you do this to those who trust you? Behavior such as this from those in the goatlocker potentially tarnishes the perception others have of all goatlocker members. The criminal, dishonest behavior of the one lessens us, individually and collectively. Honor … You either have it or need it. This guy ain’t got it. Wonder how many he threw under the bus during his rise up the food chain?