> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Seymour Johnson AFB vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-seymour-johnson-afb-vs-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/ - Published: 2026-11-03T06:10:48.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:10:48.000Z - Description: Courts-martial tried at Seymour Johnson AFB produced 10 Article 112a drug-use convictions, 9 of which (90%) included confinement, with a median of 2.5 months. In the Eastern District of North Carolina, 208 people were sentenced for simple possession in fiscal years 2016 to 2025; 166 of them (80%) re - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-no-crime-of-drug-use-article-112a/) › Drug Use: Seymour Johnson AFB **In brief:** Courts-martial tried at Seymour Johnson AFB produced 10 Article 112a drug-use convictions, 9 of which (90%) included confinement, with a median of 2.5 months. In the Eastern District of North Carolina, 208 people were sentenced for simple possession in fiscal years 2016 to 2025; 166 of them (80%) received probation only, and 169 (81%) were ordered to pay a fine. The federal cases come from the whole district, and most did not involve service members. Updated November 3, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 · Military Trial Results This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 208 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/). ## In Federal Court, Probation and a Fine Were Most Common The U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 208 people sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina under 21 U.S.C. 844, simple possession. The data uses this as the nearest federal charge to wrongful drug use under Article 112a. Of the 208, 166 (80%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. A prison term was imposed on 40 (19%). Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 0.2 months. A quarter received 3 months or more, and a quarter received 0 months or less. A fine was ordered for 169 people (81%). Restitution was ordered for 1 (less than 1%). For all federal districts, the median prison term for simple possession was 6 months, across 6,268 people sentenced. ## Confinement at Seymour Johnson AFB The records list the trial location as "Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina." All 10 convictions were Air Force cases, with trial dates from 2016 to 2025. Confinement was part of 9 of the 10 sentences recorded. The median adjudged confinement was 2.5 months, and a quarter received 3 months or more. For all 1,071 court-martial convictions for this offense in the data, the median was 3 months. These are different measures. A court-martial sentence is counted as adjudged at trial, before any clemency or appeal. A federal prison term is the term imposed, not time served. | | Courts-martial at Seymour Johnson AFB | Federal court, Eastern District of North Carolina | | ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | Convictions or people sentenced | 10 | 208 | | Sentenced to confinement or prison | 90% | 19% | | Median confinement or prison | 2.5 months | 0.2 months | | A quarter received this or more | 3 months | 3 months | | Pleaded guilty | 3 of 5 with a plea recorded (3 of 5) | more than 99% | | Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 2 of 41 with the information (5%) | ## Officers, Discharges, and General Courts-Martial 2 officers were convicted at Seymour Johnson AFB, and both were dismissed. Dismissal is the punitive separation that applies to officers. Of the 8 enlisted members convicted, 4 received a punitive discharge, all bad-conduct discharges. 4 of the 10 convictions (40%) were at a general court-martial, the highest level of military trial court. ## How the Cases Were Resolved At the base, a plea was recorded for 5 convictions, and 3 of the 5 were guilty pleas. The median confinement after a guilty plea was 3.6 months. In contested cases ending in conviction, it was 1.7 months. Each median is based on 2 cases with confinement. In the district, 207 of the 208 (more than 99%) pleaded guilty, and 1 person was convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 0.2 months. The 1 person convicted at trial and sent to prison received 132 months. Most federal guilty pleas here had no plea agreement: 85% were straight pleas, and 3% had a written plea agreement. ## Why the District Numbers Do Not Describe the Base Seymour Johnson AFB is in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The federal figures cover cases from across the district, not from the base. The records give no reason to believe that cases from the base would have been brought in the district court. Article 112a punishes wrongful use of a controlled substance, while 21 U.S.C. 844 punishes possession. The court-martial counts go by trial date. The federal counts go by fiscal year, from October 1 to September 30. ## Guideline Range, Supervision, and Criminal History Of the 108 federal cases with guideline information, 97% (105) were sentenced within the recommended range, and 3% (3) were below it without a government request. None were below it at the government's request, and none were above it. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 2 people (5%). Supervised release after prison was ordered for 7 (3%), with a median term of 36 months. On criminal history, 81% were in category I, the lowest, and 2% were in category VI, the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field. ## Few Cases, Limited Conclusions The median confinement at Seymour Johnson AFB was 2.5 months for trials in 2016 to 2019, based on 6 cases with confinement, and 1 month for trials in 2020 to 2025, based on 3 cases. With 10 convictions in all, these numbers cannot show a trend. The records also do not include the drug, the amount, or the facts of any case. ### How We Counted Courts-martial with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 whose recorded trial location is Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, ending in a conviction for wrongful drug use (Article 112a), compared with federal simple possession, the nearest federal charge (10). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 in the Eastern District of North Carolina (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "N Carolina East") under a conviction under 21 U.S.C. 844 (simple possession), the nearest federal charge (208). The installation is matched to the federal district for the county where it sits. Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records. ### What to Keep in Mind **Who is in each set of numbers.** The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended. **Different cases reach each system.** Federal prosecutors bring a narrow set of cases. In fiscal year 2024, immigration and drug trafficking cases were 59% of everyone sentenced in federal court (36,664 of 61,678). Many crimes that the military prosecutes, such as most assaults, most sexual assaults between adults, and drug use, are usually state crimes for civilians and reach federal court only in special situations, such as on federal land or in Indian Country. A federal case and a court-martial for the same crime can involve different kinds of facts. **No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct.** Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987\. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served. **Military confinement credit and parole.** For military sentences adjudged after 2004, good conduct time is 5 days for each month of confinement, about 16%. Military prisoners can also earn up to 8 more days a month for work and programs and up to 2 days a month for special acts, with a limit of 15 days a month in total. Military prisoners can be considered for parole by their service's clemency and parole board. The military numbers in this post are the confinement adjudged at trial, not the time served. **Military sentences include punishments federal sentences do not.** A court-martial sentence can include a punitive discharge (bad-conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal for officers), reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. These have no federal counterpart. A comparison of months of confinement leaves them out. A short confinement term combined with a dishonorable discharge is a heavier sentence than the months alone show. **Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually. **Offense categories do not line up exactly.** Each comparison uses a federal offense group chosen to match the military article as closely as possible (see the crosswalk). Some matches are close; others are partial. The post says which federal guideline or statute was used and why it is not an exact match. **Drug use has no federal counterpart.** Federal law does not make drug use a crime. A positive drug test is not a federal offense; a civilian can be charged only with possessing the drug. Bringing drugs onto a military installation is also a military-only offense. For these, the nearest federal charge is simple possession, and the post says that the match is not exact. ## Related Analysis - [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article) - [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts) - [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method) - [Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-no-crime-of-drug-use-article-112a/) (overview) - [Federal Sentences in the Eastern District of North Carolina, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/) (the federal district) - [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Barksdale AFB vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Louisiana](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-barksdale-afb-vs-western-district-of-louisiana/) (other installations) - [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Beale AFB vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-beale-afb-vs-eastern-district-of-california/) (other installations) - [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Bremerton vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-bremerton-vs-western-district-of-washington/) (other installations) - [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Camp Lejeune vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-camp-lejeune-vs-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/) (other installations) - [Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vs-air-force/) - [Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vs-army/) - [Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vs-marine-corps/) - [Army Article 112a Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [What Sentence Follows an Army Drug Conviction?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-sent-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Often Are Contested Army Article 112a Cases Acquitted?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-acq-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Guilty Pleas in Army Drug Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-plea-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Are Air Force Drug Courts-Martial Disappearing? Article 112a, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Much Confinement for an Article 112a Conviction in the Air Force?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-sent-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Pleading Guilty to Article 112a in the Air Force: What Sentences Followed?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-plea-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Is Navy-Marine Corps Drug Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 112a, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Much Confinement for an Article 112a Conviction in the Navy-Marine Corps?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-sent-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Fighting a Navy-Marine Corps Drug Charge: How Contested Cases Ended](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-acq-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [When Navy-Marine Corps Accused Plead Guilty to Drug](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-plea-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-courts-martial/) (court-martial data) - [Article 112a UCMJ Drug Offenses and Positive Urinalysis](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page) - [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) - [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) **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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.