A former CIA contractor accused of beating an Afghan detainee who later died must remain in jail because he violated terms of his release while awaiting trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
David Passaro, 39, was jailed again after an auto accident March 31 because he didn’t have permission to leave his house. Passaro was supposed to get approval for any activities beyond work, church and meeting with attorneys.
He was a passenger in a car that rolled several times after taking a curve at 80 mph. He refused medical attention, according to testimony Tuesday from FBI agent C. Andrew Thomure, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported.
Two weeks before the wreck, Passaro had been released from jail so he could help his attorneys prepare for his trial. At that point, he had spent almost 10 months in jail on pretrial detention. No trial date has been set.
Prosecutors say Passaro beat Abdul Wali, a suspect in rocket attacks on a military outpost in Afghanistan, in June 2003. Wali died a few days later.
Passaro, a former Green Beret, was the first person charged in the aftermath of the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq and Afghanistan.