I've known this recruiter for almost 20 years. We met, when he was attached to my Army unit from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Since I've met him, he's served multiple combat tours, in Iraq and Afghanistan. He came home from Iraq with a humerus that was shattered in 13 places. I don't know anyone with more honor than him. He became a recruiter because he believes in the Corps and wanted to recruit people to serve and carry on its traditions.
The one thing you won't hear from Joseph Brancato's family is that the reason his recruiter put him in the basement of his duplex is because NONE of his family would let him stay with them. The reason? His cousin Janice on the news said, "He had a drug problem in the past". That drug problem involved getting arrested. I've never known a junkie to kick the habit on their own, and if he had kicked the habit, then his family should have had no problems putting him up, until he shipped out to boot camp. My guess is he's still a junkie and his family wanted nothing to do with him.
When my friend went to his command and asked them what they could do to help this kid out with a place to stay, their reply was, and I quote verbatim, "Figure it out, because he WILL be ready and he WILL ship on time". Was he an idiot for putting him in the duplex where he lives? Yeah, he was, but he wasn't thinking about a stupid fraternization regulation, he did what his command told him to do and what he thought was best. In his mind, putting him in the basement on the other side of the duplex was skirting the reg but not breaking it. I personally would have contacted a National Guard unit and seen if they could put him up in an armory, until he shipped out....it's what my recruiter did for me, as I was homeless for four months, before I shipped out to boot camp.
For the record, my friend did NOT lawyer up, because he hasn't been charged with anything, not on the civilian side nor the military side. Every story has two sides, but he won't speak up, because he believes in Semper Fidelis and feels that speaking up will screw over his command. I was Army, so I could give two craps about his command, which is trying to throw him under the bus. The fact is the Boston Marine Corps Recruiting Command failed, when they took ZERO action to help find this kid a place to stay and put it all on the shoulders of my friend.
My opinion on Brancato's disappearance is that he probably got cold feet and took off, which makes him a deserter, or that he OD'd somewhere.
All I know is a great Marine is going to take the fall for something that is total BS.
