Mistaken Navy Desertion Charge Earns Man Rugged Time in Brig

A 27-year-old grocery clerk spent 24 hours in a naval brig, was forced to exercise and had his hair cut and mustache shaved after being charged with desertion--until officials learned he had never been in the Navy.

Tommy Darryl Pulliam’s episode of mistaken identity began with a routine traffic stop and took him on a trip through a bureaucratic maze he said looked endless.

“I never felt so helpless in my life,” Pulliam said Friday. “I kept saying to anyone and everyone, ‘I’m innocent,’ and thinking this nightmare is going to end soon. But no one would listen to me.”

Pulliam was released from the brig at Great Lakes Naval Training Center on Wednesday after a check of dental records showed he was not the Tommy Darryl Pulliam wanted on charges of deserting the Navy in San Diego.

Matches Computer Check

When an Illinois state trooper stopped Pulliam late Monday for speeding and ran a computer check, the officer found Pulliam fit most of the particulars listed on the Navy’s arrest warrant.

The state trooper turned Pulliam over to Chicago police Monday night, and on Tuesday naval officials dispatched a car to bring him to the base, about 30 miles north of downtown.

The Rev. Leonard DeVille, Pulliam’s stepfather, said someone apparently had used Pulliam’s name and personal information to enlist.

While in the brig, Pulliam was given a haircut and his mustache was shaved. He said he suffered an asthma attack only minutes before he said he was forced to undergo a rigorous 45-minute workout.