Navy officer from California who’d been jailed in Japan over deadly crash is released, family says

WASHINGTON —  A Navy officer jailed in Japan over a car crash that killed two Japanese citizens was released from U.S. custody on Friday, one month after he was returned to the United States and placed in a federal prison, his family said.

Lt. Ridge Alkonis, of California, was ordered released by the U.S. Parole Commission, according to a family statement that described the extra detention in a Los Angeles detention facility as “unnecessary.” In total, he spent 537 days locked up either in Japan or in the U.S.

“He is now back home with his family, where he belongs. We will have more to say in [due] time, but for now, we are focused on welcoming Ridge home and respectfully ask for privacy,” the statement said.

A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately return a phone message Friday evening.

Alkonis was released from Japanese custody last month while serving a three-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the negligent driving deaths of a woman and her son-in-law in May 2021. Alkonis’ family has said the crash was an accident that was caused when he lost consciousness while on a trip to Mt. Fuji. Japanese prosecutors maintained that he fell asleep while drowsy and shirked a duty to pull over as he became fatigued.

He was transferred in December into the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons through a Justice Department program that permits the relocation of prisoners convicted in another country back to their home nation. The program stipulates that the sentence cannot be longer than the one imposed by the foreign government.

His family said no prison time was appropriate and protested the detention in Los Angeles.

The Parole Commission determines the release date in the cases of returning Americans.