Pilot in Italian tragedy arrested in casino incident

Friday, Nov. 5, 1999 | 11:37 a.m.

A Marine Corps pilot who was acquitted of killing 20 civilians during a training mission in Italy almost two years, but was given six months in prison for obstruction of justice, was arrested this week at the Rio hotel-casino for creating a disturbance.

Capt. Richard Ashby had been given an early release from his military sentence last month because of good behavior.

Metro Police spokesman Lt. Marc Joseph said Ashby was given a misdemeanor citation Monday for trespassing after refusing to obey orders from the hotel security to leave his room.

Ashby, 32, of Mission Viejo, Calif., was acquitted in March of 20 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the Feb. 3, 1998, deaths of passengers in a ski gondola.

Ashby's jet clipped the wires holding up the gondola, sending the victims plummeting to their deaths.

Ashby was sentenced to six months in a military prison last May for obstruction of justice and also ordered dismissed from the Marine Corps, although his dismissal is still pending. He was released early from the Camp Lejeune, N.C., prison last month for good behavior.

Joseph said the hotel claimed Ashby was causing a disturbance about 1:30 a.m. Monday and was repeatedly warned by security guards that he was trespassing.