Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury indicted Roberto E. DeLeon, age 27, of Glen Burnie, Maryland for the murder and assault of his stepson while the family was stationed in Japan, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. The indictment was returned on February 25, 2009 and unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendant.

According to the two count indictment, DeLeon was the husband of a member of the U.S. Air Force assigned to Kadena Air Base, Japan. In April 2007, Jordan Peterson, the son of the airman, was 8 years old and living with his mother and DeLeon in Japan. The indictment alleges that on April 7, 2007, DeLeon beat Jordan Peterson, causing serious injury and that on April 11, 2007, DeLeon killed Jordan Peterson by causing blunt force trauma to his abdomen.

DeLeon faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the murder and 10 years in prison for assault. DeLeon is expected to have his initial appearance in federal district court in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday, March 2, 2009.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Air Force Office of Special Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys P. Michael Cunningham and Paul E. Budlow, who are prosecuting the case.