Staff sergeant sentenced in court martial

TYNDALL AFB, Fla. -- A staff sergeant was convicted of one specification of wrongful use of cocaine in a special court-martial held here Sept. 13. Staff Sgt. Earl Ellis II, 325th Maintenance Squadron, pled guilty to violating Article 112a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice before a military judge, admitting to using cocaine in March. 

After testing positive during a random urinalysis, the former staff sergeant admitted to snorting two lines of cocaine. After reviewing documentary evidence, taking testimony from a witness who testified on behalf of Sergeant Ellis, and hearing arguments from both the government and the defense counsel, the judge returned a sentence of four months confinement, reduction to senior airman, and a reprimand. 

"This Airman's conviction serves as a reminder that drug use is unlawful, regardless of how many stripes you have on your sleeve or the rank you have on your shoulders," said Capt. Ezra Glanzer, Base Legal Office assistant staff judge advocate. "The fact that this individual was a staff sergeant did not make his crime less serious. It made it much more serious, as he was expected to set an example for other airmen." 

In 2005, there were 497 convictions Air Force wide for wrongful drug use, including 87 convictions in Air Education and Training Command and five convictions here. 

To date in 2006, there have been 281 convictions in the Air Force for drug use, to include 66 convictions in AETC and five convictions here. These numbers illustrate the effectiveness of the Air Force urinalysis program and the fact that wrongful drug use will not be tolerated in the military. This former sergeant was the fifth individual here to be convicted and sentenced to jail based upon a positive urinalysis this year.