In 2012 at the age of 20, I was the first member of my family to become a paratrooper in the Airborne Infantry.
In 2013 at the age of 21, I became the first person in my family to be falsely accused of sexual assault.
Less than a year later I sat in front of a judge who, with the wave of a hand, took away 20 years of my existence.
That was six and a half years ago…
A Far Fall
I’m now inmate #93723 at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Although my family and I continue to fight for my freedom, I’d be lying if I said I’m the same person I was six years ago.
How this tragedy opened my eyes
Since being incarcerated, I’ve met a lot of people who are exactly where they belong.
I’ve also met a lot of people who have stories that are eerily similar to mine.
It became obvious I wasn’t the only one who got railroaded by the Military Justice System.
A tale of broken dreams
It’s a story I’ve seen time and time again over the past six years.
Soldiers will begin their prison sentence bright eyed and full of optimism.
They think they have a good shot at getting a new trial, usually because of something their lawyer told them.
As time goes on, this optimism slowly fades away and is replaced with absolute hopelessness.
The point of no return
After years of legal battles that result in failure, many of these men become burned out.
They just don’t care anymore.
Some even start admitting to the crimes they swore they didn’t commit because you get a better shot at parole if you “accept responsibility.”
You only get so many chances to convince the courts to overturn your conviction.
Once you’re done, you’re done.
Only those with a truly strong spirit continue to fight after they reach this point.
I’m almost at that point.
My family and I are fighting a legal battle is almost impossible to win.
I’ve had many people tell me, I should just go ahead and “accept responsibility” so I can get out sooner.
I’d rather remain true to myself...
The AHA moment
After multiple failed attempts at getting the courts to relook at my case, my family and I realized we could no longer rely on the military’s court system alone.
We knew we had to take it upon ourselves to bring public awareness not only to my story, but to stories of other families whose loved ones have been destroyed by false allegations.
Together we created Freeourwarriors.org to bring our stories into the court of public opinion.
We will bypass a legal system that doesn’t want to hear from us and take this issue straight to Congress.
We won’t rest until this stain on our national honor has been fixed.
Hope for the future
Since being incarcerated, I am continue to sharpen my mind and my body.
I’ve earned certifications in fitness training, exercise nutrition and home inspection.
I want to one day own my own business and invest in real estate.
I want to get married and have a large family.
Most of all I want to finally reunite with the family I love, many of whom I haven’t seen in over 6 years.
I can’t do any of these things while I remain locked up at Leavenworth.
My story is one of many.
Every single one of them ends the same.
By taking a sledgehammer to due process so some political hack sitting behind a desk somewhere can say they are doing something about the military’s sexual assault problem.
When will it end?
Anthony Santucci
P.S. If you want the full story on how I got convicted and sentenced to 20 years at Leavenworth, click here.
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