The trial of Major Michael Stockin, who had pleaded guilty to sexually abusing dozens of male soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Madigan Army Medical Center, concluded on Jan. 15 at the Cascade Court Complex, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
“He pleaded guilty to a total of 41 specifications, 36 for abusive sexual contact and five for indecent viewing,” Michelle McCaskill, spokesperson with the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, said in an email.
“The military judge sentenced him to 164 months in confinement, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and to be dismissed from the Army,” she added.
A dismissal is a punitive discharge for military commissioned officers equivalent to a dishonorable discharge for enlisted members of the service. As a collateral consequence of his federal conviction, he will also lose his medical license.
“Major Stockin took full responsibility for his actions, and he made no excuses,” said Robert Capovilla, Stockin’s attorney, in an email. “The defense hopes and prays that the victims and Major Stockin will finally be able to heal and to move forward with their lives.”
Stockin had served as an anesthesiologist since May 2013, and had been assigned to Madigan since July 2019. Additionally, he deployed to Iraq from October 2020 to February 2021.
The Army began its investigation into multiple allegations of sexual misconduct in February 2022, which led to Stockin being suspended from patient care and reassigned to administrative duties.
In August 2023, he faced formal charges comprising of 23 counts of abusive sexual contact and indecent viewing.
By January 2024, the charges increased and on Jan. 16, 2024, the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel referred 52 charges and specifications, stemming from allegations from 41 male patients treated between 2019 and 2022.
In September 2024, Stockin entered into a plea agreement with Army prosecutors, with details expected to emerge during his trial, which had been scheduled from Jan. 7-17 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Many of the victims testified how Stockin caused them to suffer negative emotional, physical and psychological harm because of the crimes committed against them.
“They have been living with the trauma that has come from Maj. Stockin’s actions for years, and the last 16 months of litigation on the way to this court-martial has not been easy,” said Maj. Ryan Keeter, the lead prosecutor, in an email.
Stockin will be transferred to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he will serve his prison sentence. Based upon the crimes of which he was convicted, he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements upon his release from prison.
Attorneys representing 22 of Stockin’s former patients have filed Federal Tort Claims Act complaints against the Army and Department of Defense on behalf of the service members, claiming the agencies were negligent in hiring, supervising and retaining Stockin.
Each is seeking $5 million in damages for the emotional distress they say they have suffered.
JBLM is the Army’s fifth-largest base; and the Madigan Army Medical Center is the branch’s second-largest medical treatment facility.
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