ALAMEDA, Calif. – A senior officer on the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area staff was found guilty of wrongfully using cocaine and not guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman in a verdict returned Wednesday by a general court-martial panel here on Coast Guard Island.
Capt. Michael Sullivan was charged on Aug. 18, 2008 with one specification of wrongful use of cocaine under Article 112a and one specification of conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman under Article 133 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The charges were based on the results of a random drug screening test last June and evidence from a subsequent investigation.
The court-martial sentenced Sullivan to pay a fine of $5,000 and to receive a written reprimand.
The Coast Guard regularly conducts random drug screening tests of its military personnel to deter and detect illegal drug use.
“The general court-martial was convened following a full investigation,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Keith Alholm, Pacific Area Public Affairs Officer. “Today’s verdict is the result of the judicial process under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”
