A navy physician who pleaded responsible to sexually abusing dozens of male troopers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord was sentenced Wednesday to only over 13 years in jail, was ordered to forfeit all pay and allowances and was dismissed from the U.S. Military.
Maj. Michael Stockin, an anesthesiologist and ache administration specialist on the base’s Madigan Military Medical Heart, pleaded responsible on Jan. 8 to 36 specs, or counts, of abusive sexual contact and 5 of indecent viewing, mentioned Michelle McCaskill, spokesperson with the U.S. Military Workplace of Particular Trial Counsel.
“The sentence imposed by the court holds Maj. Stockin accountable for every person he victimized through his crimes,” Maj. Allyson Montgomery, prosecutor, Military Workplace of Particular Trial Counsel, mentioned in an announcement. “The results of this proceeding shine a light on the trauma caused by Maj. Stockin by allowing the voices of every victim to be heard in a public hearing.”
JBLM is the Military’s fifth-largest base and is about 47 miles (75 kilometers) south of Seattle. The Madigan medical middle is the Military’s second-largest medical therapy facility.
After his plea, 22 of the 41 victims testified concerning the trauma and misery they endured due to Stockin’s abuse. Many mentioned Stockin triggered them to undergo unfavorable emotional, bodily, and psychological hurt due to the crimes dedicated towards them.
“The resilience of the victims in this case should be celebrated,” mentioned lead prosecutor Maj. Ryan Keeter. “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. I thank them for their patience, their strength, and their determination for justice.”
Stockin’s lawyer, Robert Capovilla, mentioned the physician confronted greater than 300 years of jail, however his sentence was capped at simply over a dozen years.
Attorneys representing 22 of Stockin’s former sufferers have filed Federal Tort Claims Act complaints towards the Military and Division of Protection on behalf of the servicemen, claiming the companies have been negligent in hiring, supervising and retaining Stockin. Every is searching for $5 million in damages for the emotional misery they are saying they’ve suffered.
Christine Dunn, representing the victims, mentioned Stockin’s sentencing supplies some sense of justice,” however for our shoppers, actual justice requires holding the Military accountable for its function in permitting this to occur.”
“During the sentencing hearing, victim after victim described the emotional impact the sexual abuse has had on their lives,” Dunn mentioned. “These brave soldiers are now riddled with anxiety and shame – many of them terrified to even seek medical attention.”
The Military launched an investigation into Stockin in 2022 after receiving a number of complaints, McCaskill mentioned. He was suspended from affected person care and was given administrative duties. He was formally charged in August 2023 with 23 counts of abusive sexual contact. In January 2024, the Military Workplace of Particular Trial Counsel referred 52 costs and specs, stemming from allegations by 41 male sufferers he handled between 2019 and 2022.
Stockin will probably be transferred to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the place he’ll serve his jail sentence, McCaskill mentioned. Based mostly on his crimes, he’ll be required to register as a intercourse offender and will probably be topic to federal and state intercourse offender registration necessities as soon as launched from jail.