SEAL pleads guilty to role in hazing death of Green Beret

Chief Petty Officer Tony DeDolph pleaded guilty Thursday in a military courtroom at a Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia. The Green Beret who died was Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar.

FILE - This undated photo provided by the U.S. Army shows U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar... — FILE - This undated photo provided by the U.S. Army shows U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar Green Beret, who died from non-combat related injuries in Mali in June 2017. Tony DeDolph, a U.S. Navy SEAL, pleaded guilty Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, to involuntary manslaughter for his role in the hazing-related death of Melgar. (U.S. Army via AP, File)(AP)

By Ben Finley

Published: Jan. 17, 2021 at 8:38 PM EST

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A U.S. Navy SEAL has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for his role in the hazing death of a U.S. Army Green Beret in Africa.

Chief Petty Officer Tony DeDolph pleaded guilty Thursday in a military courtroom at a Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia. The Green Beret who died was Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar.

DeDolph offered a detailed account of the night in 2017 when he and other services members tried to prank Melgar over perceived slights.

DeDolph said he placed Melgar in a chokehold to make him temporarily lose consciousness. But he said Melgar never woke up. DeDolph faces a maximum of 22 1/2 years in prison.

Three other American service members were also charged.