Technical sergeant sentenced to one-year confinement for drug use Published July 23, 2007 By Capt. Simone Davis 95th Air Base Wing Office of the Staff Judge Advocate EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A panel of members sentenced a technical sergeant assigned to the 412th Maintenance Squadron to one-year confinement, a bad conduct discharge and reduction in rank to airman basic during a general court-martial held here July 17. Tech. Sgt. Jed Heffernan pled guilty to one charge and specification of wrongful use of cocaine, one specification of wrongfully distributing cocaine and one specification of introducing cocaine onto a military installation, all in violation of Article 112(a) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The charge and specifications stemmed from a purchase of two "eight-balls" of cocaine. "The members sent a clear message in delivering their sentence that this type of behavior hurts everyone and will not be tolerated," said Capt. Zaven T. Saroyan, chief of military justice and trial counsel. The technical sergeant will begin confinement immediately in the Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. General courts-martial are reserved for the most serious criminal offenses and any punishment not prohibited by the UCMJ, including death when specifically authorized, may be adjudged. For more information on courts-martial, consult Air Force Instruction 51-201, the Manual for Courts-Martial, or call the legal office at 277-4310.