How Navy-Marine Corps Conspiracy Cases Ended in 2019
The 2019 records include 32 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial charging Article 81 (conspiracy), and every one ended with a conviction and confinement. The median confinement was 1.1 years, compared with 6 months for all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year.
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Trends › By Offense › Article 81 › Navy-Marine Corps, 2019
Short answer: The 2019 records include 32 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial charging Article 81 (conspiracy), and every one ended with a conviction and confinement. The median confinement was 1.1 years, compared with 6 months for all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year. Of convicted enlisted members, 94% received a punitive discharge, compared with 60% across the service.
Every Case Ended in Conviction and Confinement
All 32 cases produced a conviction on at least one charge, and all 32 sentences included confinement. The median confinement was 1.1 years, and a quarter of sentences were 2 years or longer. Across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019, the median was 6 months.
These are adjudged sentences, announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge in the case, not only the conspiracy charge.
Most Sentences Were Longer Than One Year
Confinement of more than one year followed 17 of the 32 convictions (53%), compared with 24% across the service. The largest band was more than 1 year but under 5 years, with 14 convictions (44%), compared with 19% across the service. Another 3 (9%) were 5 years or more.
Shorter sentences were less common than across the service. Another 7 convictions (22%) were under 6 months, compared with 35%. The 6 months to 1 year band had 8 (25%), about the same as the 23% service figure.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 0 | 0% | 18% |
| Under 6 months | 7 | 22% | 35% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 8 | 25% | 23% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 14 | 44% | 19% |
| 5 years or more | 3 | 9% | 5% |
General and Special Courts-Martial Compared
General courts-martial heard 18 of the 32 cases (56%), compared with 43% across the service, and special courts-martial heard 14. 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 cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Both levels imposed confinement in 100% of convictions. The median confinement was 2 years at general courts-martial and 6 months at special courts-martial.
Almost All Convicted Enlisted Members Received a Punitive Discharge
Of 31 convicted enlisted members, 29 received a punitive discharge: 23 bad-conduct discharges and 6 dishonorable discharges. For all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019, the punitive-discharge share was 60%.
The 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was dismissed. A sentence with no punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation, which these records do not show.
Drug Charges Were the Most Common Other Charge
No case in this group charged Article 81 by itself. Article 112a (drug) appeared in 18 of the 32 cases. Article 121 (larceny) and Article 131b (obstruction) each appeared in 10, Article 92 (orders violation) in 6, and Article 134 (general article) in 5.
Conspiracy is an agreement to commit another offense. In this group, every case also charged at least one other offense. A court-martial sentence covers every charge in a case, so the sentences on this page are for the whole case, not for the conspiracy charge alone.
Only Guilty Pleas Where a Plea Was Listed
Of the 32 records, 12 list a plea, and all 12 show a guilty plea. A contested case has a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share was 0%, compared with 28% across the service. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, so the other cases cannot be counted as guilty pleas or contested cases.
Changes Since 2018
Compared with 2018, the number of cases went from 43 to 32, and the contested share went from 33% to 0%. Sentences were longer. Median confinement went from 9 months to 1.1 years. Convictions with confinement went from 95% to 100%, and enlisted punitive discharges went from 82% to 94%. The general court-martial share went from 40% to 56%.
Each year has a small number of cases, so a few cases can change these percentages. The table shows the 2 years side by side.
| 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 43 | 32 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 33% | 0% |
| Convictions with confinement | 95% | 100% |
| Median confinement | 9 months | 1.1 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 82% | 94% |
| General courts-martial | 40% | 56% |
Rank and Location
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 53% of the accused, NCOs 44%, and officers 3%. Across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019, junior enlisted members were 57% of the accused, so this group was slightly more senior.
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina tried 12 of the cases. Bremerton, Washington and San Diego, California tried 5 each, and Okinawa, Japan and Parris Island, South Carolina tried 2 each. Together these account for 81% of the 32 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind, so a high count alone does not show a problem at any one base.
What the Records Do Not Show
The records show trial dates, not offense dates, and they do not describe the evidence or plea terms. Cases handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not included. The 32 cases here are only the conspiracy allegations that went to a court-martial.
The data also do not show whether any of the guilty pleas came with an agreement limiting the sentence. The confinement figures here are adjudged sentences, so the time actually served may differ.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial with a trial date in 2019 that charged Article 81 (32 cases), compared with all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year and with 2018.
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 81 (Conspiracy): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- How Navy-Marine Corps Conspiracy Cases Ended in 2018 (previous / next)
- How Navy-Marine Corps Conspiracy Cases Ended in 2020 (previous / next)
- Fewer or More? Conspiracy Charges at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2017–2025 (the full trend)
- Conspiracy at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2017: The Year in Numbers
- How Navy-Marine Corps Conspiracy Cases Ended in 2025
- How Much Confinement for an Article 81 Conviction in the Navy-Marine Corps?
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
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.