Article 121 Sentences in the Army: Confinement and Discharges, 2021–2025

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Based on 145 cases · 2021–2025 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Most Larceny Sentences Were Under 6 Months

This post covers Army courts-martial that ended in a conviction under Article 121, which covers larceny and wrongful appropriation. It covers the sentences. The records show 145 such convictions from January 2021 to November 2025.

81% of these sentences included confinement. The median confinement was 3 months, compared with 6 months for all Army convictions. A quarter of the sentences were 7 months or longer. 57% of convictions here were sentenced to under 6 months, compared with 39% Army-wide.

Sentences Longer Than One Year

14 of 145 convictions (10%) were sentenced to more than one year, compared with 28% for all Army convictions. Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than one year of confinement.

The records include 1 life sentence. Each sentence covers every charge in the case, so a long sentence in a larceny case can include other, more serious convictions in the same case. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.

Sentences by Court Level

At the 61 general courts-martial, 89% of convictions included confinement, and the median was 6 months. At the 77 special courts-martial, 73% did, and the median was 55 days. General courts-martial were 44% of the 138 cases with a court level listed, and the court level is not listed for 7 cases.

A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and can impose a bad-conduct discharge but not a dishonorable discharge.

Punitive Discharges

90 of 134 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 83 bad-conduct discharges and 7 dishonorable discharges. That share is lower than the 73% for all Army convictions.

5 of 11 convicted officers or warrant officers were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge or dismissal does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Most Cases Were Guilty Pleas

Of the 145 cases, 129 were guilty pleas and 16 were contested, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 11%, lower than the 21% for all Army convictions. 125 of the 129 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement, and 4 have no entry. Army records say whether an agreement existed, not what it said.

This post counts only cases that ended in a conviction, so no case here ended in a full acquittal. A contested case can still end in a partial acquittal, with a not-guilty finding on at least one charge or specification and a guilty finding on another.

Who Decided Guilt?

A military judge alone decided guilt in 140 of 145 cases with the forum listed (97%). Members heard 5, all enlisted panels. Among contested cases, members heard 5 of 16 (31%). The accused usually chooses the forum, and most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas, so the forum split here mostly follows the number of guilty pleas.

Other Charges in the Same Cases

111 of the 145 cases charged at least one other article. Article 107 (false official statement) was the most common, in 33 cases. Article 134 (the general article) was charged in 20, Article 92 (orders violation) in 20, Article 81 (conspiracy) in 18, and Article 80 (attempt) in 17.

Since a sentence covers every charge in the case, the confinement and discharge figures above describe the whole case, including these other charges, not the larceny finding by itself. The records do not separate the punishment for one charge from another.

Rank, Installations, and Years

NCOs made up 50% of the accused, junior enlisted soldiers (E-1 to E-4) 42%, and officers 8%. For all Army convictions, junior enlisted soldiers were 57%, so this group is more senior.

Fort Hood had the most cases (16). Joint Base Lewis-McChord had 12, Fort Campbell 11, Camp Humphreys 10, and Fort Carson 9. Together they account for 40% of the 145 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind. By year, there were 39 cases in 2021, 30 in 2022, 22 in 2023, 32 in 2024, and 22 in 2025.

Rule Changes and Missing Pieces

When every guilty finding in a case is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. The records give trial dates, not offense dates. Trials from 2024 on therefore include old-rule and new-rule cases.

Thefts handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation do not appear. The records do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or the amounts taken.

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.

Compare: federal court. Theft and Fraud: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial

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.