Sentence Approved in U.S. vs. Jones

  • Published
  • By 39th Air Base Wing
  • Legal Office
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Lt. Gen. Robert Bishop, 3rd Air Force commander and General-Court Martial Convening Authority for Incirlik, took action in the case of U.S. v. Airman Steven L. Jones March 1.

Airman Jones was tried by general-court martial here from Oct. 6 to 24. A panel of members found Airman Jones guilty of failure to go, forcible sodomy, indecent acts, writing bad checks, and purchasing alcohol for minors, violations of Articles 86, 125 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. A charge of rape, a violation of Article 120 of the UCMJ, had been referred against Airman Jones, but the court-martial panel found him guilty of the lesser-included offense of an indecent act.

After determining the guilt of Airman Jones, the court-martial heard evidence and argument regarding his sentencing.

Capt. Jonathan Smies, 39th Air Base Wing assistant trial counsel, argued in presentencing on behalf of the U.S., that considering the many criminal acts of the accused -- the forcible sodomy, the indecent act, writing 43 bad checks for more than $6,000, purchasing alcohol for dependent minors here, and failure to go -- the appropriate amount of punishment in the case would include a punitive discharge, lengthy confinement, forfeiture of pay, and reduction from E-2 to E-1.

The court-martial adjudged a sentence of a bad conduct discharge, confinement for 18 months, forfeiture of all pay and allowances for 18 months, and reduction to E-1. The GCMCA approved a sentence of a bad conduct discharge, confinement for 15 months, forfeiture of all pay and allowances for 15 months, and reduction to E-1 on March 1. Airman Jones is currently serving his confinement at a regional confinement facility in the CONUS.

As Airman Jones was convicted of an offense requiring sex offender notification, a notification will be sent upon his release from confinement to comply with sex offender registration requirements. The case is now under appellate review.