**Contact your local news stations and state representatives - Colorado contact info below**
May 26, 2013 - Memorial Day Weekend
AURORA, CO - Honorably discharged military veteran Maurice Lloyd is currently facing charges in Adams County that could put him behind bars for 25+ years. Lloyd is an Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) U.S. Air Force (USAF) veteran who suffers from service-connected Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). His PTSD, Anxiety, and MDD were diagnosed by professionals at the Veteran Affairs (VA) hospital prior to the incident that has put him at the mercy of the District Attorney.
Lloyd served four and a half years in the USAF where he volunteered to deploy to Iraq in 2004. During his tour of duty, Lloyd experienced constant insurgent threats in the forms of rocket and mortar attacks, as well as security breaches on the base he was assigned to. As any service member can attest to, responsibilities in the Armed Forces change based on requirements. Lloyd was a Utilities Systems Apprentice by trade, but was assigned to Force Protection at Camp Anaconda, Iraq.
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| 2004: Lloyd during his deployment to Iraq |
Camp Anaconda was a large military base located north of Baghdad and was referred to as "Mortar-itaville" at the time Lloyd was stationed there due to the constant bombings that occurred. Part of Lloyd's responsibilities involved challenging Foreign National (FN) employees (aiming his fire arm at them and demanding identification) when security breaches occurred at the base. He also worked at Entry Control Points (ECP) where car bombings and suicide bombings were a regular occurrence and took the lives of many of our service members. On one occasion, a suspected insurgent entered the base and Lloyd was required to search for the intruder and challenge any FN employees who matched the general description. The amount of stress and fear endured during deployment can only be understood by those who have experienced it first-hand.
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| 2004: Lloyd with Iraqi nationals during his deployment to Iraq |
After being honorably discharged from the USAF in 2007, Lloyd decided to pursue contracting opportunities in Iraq to again serve his country. During his time in Iraq, he faced many of the same fears as he did during his deployment in the USAF, only this time he was not provided with a weapon to defend himself and the hours he was required to work were intense 84-hour work weeks.
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| 2007: Living container hit by mortar at Lloyd's base killed multiple contractors |
After leaving Iraq in August 2010, after working nearly three years in Iraq, he and his wife moved to Aurora, CO. Lloyd thought the best thing to do at that point was take some time off from work and enjoy life for awhile. What he learned later was that taking time off was the worst thing he could have done. His PTSD emerged and intensified quickly. He sought help off and on at the Denver VA, but as many veterans who experience the symptoms of PTSD realize, there is not a "quick fix" for the illness. As is the case with many people who suffer from PTSD, he was frustrated and in denial regarding the severity of his illnesses and began self-medicating through the use of alcohol and social isolation.
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| 2007: Lloyd at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq |
By Fall of 2011, Lloyd was drinking daily to suppress the symptoms of PTSD and MDD that he was experiencing and to help him relax enough to sleep at night. He had vivid nightmares, which caused him to not want to sleep so as to avoid them. His sleep schedule was non-existent and he only slept a few hours off and on each night. He would regularly stay up until the early morning hours before finally laying down to rest. He would often leave late at night to drive around and listen to music as a way of clearing his mind. In October 2011, Lloyd left his house late at night, as he often did. He stopped at a Denny's restaurant to eat alone. After paying for his meal and leaving the restaurant, he has no clear memory of the next couple of hours. His next recollection were the red and blue flashing lights of a police car before he was taken in for booking.
As is common with many veterans suffering from PTSD, Lloyd experienced dissociation where his brain went into a protective state of self-defense and suppressed the traumatic memories of what happened that night.
What Lloyd found out later was that he was being accused and charged of robbing three males at gunpoint. With a house and two vehicles paid for in full, plenty of financial security, no prior criminal history, sketchy evidence that could point to him OR the three alleged victims as the culprits, and falsified statements from the alleged victims, Lloyd was forced into a situation that nearly lead him to commit suicide on several occasions. With the support of his wife and close friends, Lloyd decided to fight the charges. He knew he needed to get help for his illnesses and decided to attend approximately three months of in-patient treatment programs through the VA for PTSD and substance abuse. He was also evaluated by a private Psychiatrist who confirmed the VA's diagnosis of severe PTSD, Anxiety, and MDD, but also diagnosed him as having symptoms related to a TBI, and labeled him as being at high risk for suicide. Lloyd began seeing a counselor and taking medications regularly, and even pushed himself to continue on a positive path by taking college courses and starting his own business. After providing an enormous amount of documentation to demonstrate his true character, the extent of his illnesses, the numerous things he was doing to remain positive and proactive in order to prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future, and spending nearly $80,000 in lawyer fees, the only offer the DA was willing to make for the OIF veteran was a three and a half year prison sentence and five years probation to follow.
Anyone familiar with the prison system knows that inmates are regularly diagnosed with PTSD and commit suicide as a result of the high-stress environment they're in. Also, inmates requiring medications are often not provided with the regular doses necessary to keep their illnesses at bay. For anyone in a situation like Lloyd, prison is the worst possible "solution" and could arguably be considered cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment for someone with his list of illnesses.
Lloyd's case is one of many that occurs every year due to a criminal justice system that categorizes our heroes as criminals as a result of their disabilities. In 2007, former Army Ranger Sargent Binkley was facing 12-23 years in prison in California for robbing a drug store at gunpoint in order to get Percocet, the highly addictive pain medication he had been prescribed by VA doctors. Binkley had been diagnosed with PTSD and suffered from intense pain and nightmares as a result of his deployment to Honduras where he witnessed several traumatic events. Because of his illnesses, a jury found him not guilty on the basis of legal insanity so he would be provided with treatment to help him heal rather than locking him up and allowing his illnesses to worsen. A great option for service members in a situation like Lloyd, are Veterans Courts which allow veterans suffering from PTSD and other mental illnesses the opportunity to obtain the help they need rather than face incarceration. Many advocates are pushing for the establishment of more Veterans Courts around the country, but unfortunately, the process is slow and expensive. Until every veteran is provided with solutions that help them heal rather than having salt thrown in their wounds, it is our responsibility as citizens of freedom to fight for our heroes just as they've fought for us.
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**Colorado Supporters** Please Support Lloyd by Voicing Your Concerns to the Following:
Senator Udall (Greeley) Contact: Brian 970-356-5586
Senator Bennet:
Denver Metro Office
1127 Sherman St. Suite 150
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: (303) 455-7600
Toll Free: (866) 455-9866
Denver Metro Area Region
999 18th Street
Suite 1525, North Tower
Denver, CO 80202
P: 303-650-782
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