An Air Force officer with hundreds of hours of combat time pleaded guilty today to defacing cars with bumper stickers supporting President Bush.
Lt. Col. Alexis Fecteau, a decorated officer who flew 500 combat hours in the Gulf War, Kosovo and Bosnia, pleaded guilty to felony mischief and must pay restitution to the owners of the damaged cars.
Fecteau, 43, of Colorado Springs, declined comment after a brief hearing.
“This episode has had a very significant impact on his Air Force career,” defense attorney Patrick Mulligan said.
Mulligan said the plea agreement “affords Lt. Col. Fecteau the opportunity to get back on track,” noting his record will be cleared in two years if he stays out of trouble.
Fecteau originally faced 13 charges for defacing vehicles at the Denver airport between January and July 2005. Fecteau admitted to investigators he had vandalized cars starting around the time of the November 2004 election, but pleaded guilty to a single charge of criminal mischief that named all 13 victims.
Fecteau blacked out pro-Bush bumper stickers and then spray-painted an expletive over them.
After the charges became public, Fecteau was removed as director of operations for reserve forces at the National Security Space Institute at Peterson Air Force Base.
