Advertisement

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

       Supported by

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

       U.S. Naval Officer Is Released From Jail in Japan After Yearslong Effort

       The fallout over the case has strained diplomatic ties between Japan and the United States.

       Share full article

       Derek and Suzi Alkonis holding a portrait of their son, Lt. Ridge Alkonis. Credit...Denis Poroy/Associated Press

       By Michael D. Shear

       Reporting from Washington

       Dec. 14, 2023Updated 10:25 a.m. ET

       Lt. Ridge Alkonis, a Navy officer who was imprisoned in Japan after killing two members of a Japanese family in a car crash, was on his way to the United States on Wednesday after a yearslong diplomatic effort to bring him home, Biden administration officials said.

       Lieutenant Alkonis, 35, was released from prison after serving half his sentence for negligent driving. Under the terms of the International Prisoner Transfer Program, set in place by a treaty between the United States and Japan, he was likely to continue serving his sentence in the United States, administration officials said.

       The length of his incarceration will be set by the U.S. Parole Commission, an independent part of the Justice Department, officials said. The commission could reduce his sentence or allow him to serve part of it in home confinement. Lieutenant Alkonis will remain in detention in the United States until the commission makes its decision.

       Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.

       Michael D. Shear is a White House correspondent for The New York Times, covering President Biden and his administration. He has reported on politics for more than 30 years. More about Michael D. Shear

       Share full article

       Advertisement

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT