Air Force Article 121 Cases by the Numbers, 2016–2025
The Air Force tried 126 courts-martial charging Article 121 (larceny) from 2016 through 2025. Of the cases with a plea recorded, 22% were contested, compared with 48% Air Force-wide.
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Trends › By Offense › Article 121 › Air Force
Short answer: The Air Force tried 126 courts-martial charging Article 121 (larceny) from 2016 through 2025. Of the cases with a plea recorded, 22% were contested, compared with 48% Air Force-wide. The median confinement was 4 months, the same as across the Air Force, and 58% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 56%.
Fewer Cases in the Middle Years
Larceny cases were most frequent at the start of the period. The yearly count was 25 in 2016, 19 in 2017, 14 in 2018, and 16 in 2019. It was 8 in 2020, 4 in 2021, 6 in 2022, and 7 in 2023. It was 16 in 2024 and 11 in 2025.
As a share of Air Force convictions with offenses listed, Article 121 was part of 58 of 786 convictions in 2016–2018 (7%). It was part of 29 of 494 in 2023–2025 (6%). The yearly share ranged from 2% in 2021 to 12% in 2016, and was 9% in 2024. Shares keep years with more or fewer cases overall comparable.
The 126 cases were 5% of the 2,795 Air Force courts-martial in these years.
| Year | Convictions incl. Art. 121 | All convictions with offenses listed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 25 | 205 | 12% |
| 2017 | 19 | 294 | 6% |
| 2018 | 14 | 287 | 5% |
| 2019 | 16 | 271 | 6% |
| 2020 | 8 | 186 | 4% |
| 2021 | 4 | 202 | 2% |
| 2022 | 6 | 208 | 3% |
| 2023 | 6 | 152 | 4% |
| 2024 | 15 | 173 | 9% |
| 2025 | 8 | 169 | 5% |
Pleas and Panels
Only 46 of the 126 records list the plea, because Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely record a guilty plea. Of those 46, 36 were guilty pleas and 10 were contested, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 22%, compared with 48% across the Air Force.
A military judge alone decided guilt in 96 of 126 cases (76%). Members heard 30: 16 officer panels and 14 enlisted panels. Among contested cases, members heard 7 of 10 (70%). The accused usually chooses whether a military judge or a panel decides guilt.
Larceny Was Often Charged With a False Statement
Article 121 was the only charge in 39 of 126 cases. The most common additional charge was Article 107 (false official statement), in 30 cases. Article 134 (general article) appeared in 23, Article 92 (orders violation) and Article 112a (drugs) in 17 each, and Article 128 (assault) in 7.
Sentences cover every charge in the case. The outcomes below therefore reflect all the charges, not the larceny charge alone.
Sentences Mostly Under 6 Months
Confinement was part of 79% of the 122 convictions. The median term was 4 months, the same as the Air Force median. A quarter of terms were 7 months or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
No confinement was imposed in 21% of convictions, compared with 15% Air Force-wide. Terms of more than 1 year and under 5 years made up 10%, compared with 16%. Terms of 5 years or more made up 3%, compared with 7%.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the whole Air Force docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 26 | 21% | 15% |
| Under 6 months | 63 | 52% | 48% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 17 | 14% | 15% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 12 | 10% | 16% |
| 5 years or more | 4 | 3% | 7% |
General and Special Courts-Martial Compared
Of the 126 cases, 51 were general courts-martial and 75 were special courts-martial. The general share was 40%, compared with 51% across the Air Force.
The median confinement was 8 months at general courts-martial, and 31% of those cases were contested. The median was 2 months at special courts-martial, and 17% were contested. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence.
Discharges and Dismissals
Of 113 convicted enlisted members, 65 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (58%). That is about the same as across the Air Force (56%). Of those 65, 10 were dishonorable.
The records include 9 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 5 were dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge or dismissal does not rule out a later administrative separation.
A More Senior Group of Accused
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 55% of the accused, NCOs 38%, and officers 7%. Across the Air Force as a whole, junior enlisted members made up 62% of the accused.
Installations With the Most Cases
Minot AFB, North Dakota had the most larceny cases, with 8. Malmstrom AFB, Montana; JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey; JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia; and Osan AB, South Korea had 5 each. Together these installations account for 22% of the 126 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
What This Page Leaves Out
Air Force records rarely list the charges in a case that ends in full acquittal. An acquittal rate for larceny alone would therefore undercount acquittals, and this page does not report one. The records never report plea agreements.
The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel handle covered offenses. New sentencing parameters apply when every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023. These rules depend on offense dates, which the records do not give. Larceny handled by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action is not in these records.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 121 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Air Force courts-martial tried 2016–2025 that charged Article 121 (126 cases). The trend line uses convictions whose records list the offenses found, by trial year.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Article 121 (Larceny): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Offense (hub)
- Army Article 121 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025 (another service)
- How Has Article 121 Changed in Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial Since 2017? (another service)
- Air Force Article 109 Cases by the Numbers, 2016–2025
- Air Force Article 113 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- Air Force Article 115 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- What Sentence Follows an Air Force Larceny Conviction?
- Article 121 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Compare: federal court. Theft and Fraud: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.