Anna Hartz
Army captain receives maximum sentence in secret abortion drug case
Military officers are expected to protect and lead the people under their command. When they abuse that trust, the consequences can be severe. A recent U.S. Army court-martial has ended with a lengthy prison sentence for an officer convicted of secretly causing the loss of an unborn child.
Medicated without knowing
A U.S. Army captain has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to secretly giving abortion medication to a pregnant junior enlisted soldier without her knowledge, reports MilitaryTimes.
Capt. Brandon Jones-Adams, 34, entered guilty pleas during a court-martial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
According to the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, Jones-Adams admitted to “intentionally killing an unborn child, committing domestic violence, fraternization and conduct unbecoming of an officer”.
Prosecutors said Jones-Adams secretly gave the soldier the abortion drug mifepristone. The woman was pregnant with their child. The medication caused the loss of the pregnancy.
Army officials described the officer’s actions as deliberate and planned.
Lt. Col. Tyler Heimann from the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel said the crimes caused serious harm to the victim. He also said Jones-Adams violated the trust placed in him as an Army officer.
Sentence of 12 years
Under the plea agreement, the military judge could have sentenced Jones-Adams to between four and 12 years in prison.
The judge imposed the maximum sentence of 12 years.
In addition to the prison term, Jones-Adams will lose all pay and military allowances. He will also be dismissed from the Army. For commissioned officers, dismissal is the military equivalent of a dishonorable discharge.
Before the case, Jones-Adams served with the 23rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division under the Multi-Domain Command Pacific.
The Army said he will begin serving his sentence at the Northwestern Joint Correctional Facility.
The case has drawn attention because of the serious charges and the abuse of trust involved. Military prosecutors said the sentence reflects the gravity of the crimes and the harm caused to the victim. The court-martial has now brought the legal case to a close, with Jones-Adams facing more than a decade behind bars and the end of his military career.
