A Boston area recruiter was taken into custody in early February on charges unrelated to the disappearance of a man he was processing as a recruit.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Frank Lipka was taken “into military custody for drunk driving, absence without authorization from work, and an altercation with two Marines in his unit,” said Marine spokesman Capt. Gerard R. Farao.
Lipka was the sole recruiter at the Roslindale office, where still-missing recruit Joseph Brancato was trying to enlist, the Boston Globe reported.
Brancato was living and training with the gunny just before he disappeared on November 18, according to the Globe.
Marine Corps officials say Lipka’s charges are unrelated to the investigation into Brancato’s disappearance.
Lipka was taken into custody on Feb. 1 and escorted by Marines to the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston, South Carolina, where he is currently being detained.
The case into Brancato’s disappearance is ongoing.
Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.
