(The Center Square) – A U.S. Army captain was recently sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to secretly slipping an abortion medication to a pregnant soldier, resulting in the loss of her unborn child and renewing calls for the federal government to take action.
Capt. Brandon Jones-Adams, 34, entered his plea during a court-martial on June 24 at the Cascade Court Complex at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, according to a news release. Jones-Adams pleaded guilty to intentionally killing an unborn child, domestic violence, fraternization and conduct unbecoming an officer.
Jones-Adams and the victim, an enlisted junior soldier, began a consensual relationship in November 2024 while stationed at JBLM, according to the release. The victim became pregnant with Jones-Adams’ child in May 2025 during a unit rotation to South Korea. The two returned to Washington over the summer.
Military prosecutors said that on August 21, 2025, while at Jones-Adams’ residence in Puyallup, Jones-Adams poured the victim a drink. After consuming it, she noticed an unusual residue in the cup and suspected she had been drugged. Shortly after, she began experiencing severe cramping and admitted herself to the emergency room at JBLM. The soldier miscarried later that day during her 13th week of pregnancy.
An investigation conducted by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division revealed that Jones-Adams used a fake name to purchase the abortion drug mifepristone from an online website.
A forensic digital examination of his cell phone also indicated multiple prior attempts to acquire the drug from various online vendors. Jones-Adams ultimately confessed to placing the pill in the victim’s drink when interviewed by CID agents.
“What Mr. Jones-Adams did was a disgusting act that killed an unborn child and violated the victim’s trust and autonomy in the most personal way,” said Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of Army CID’s Western Field Office in the news release.
In addition to the 12-year prison sentence, the maximum penalty permitted under his plea agreement, the military judge ordered a total forfeiture of Jones-Adams’ pay and allowances. He was also given a dismissal from the Army, which serves as the punitive discharge equivalent to a dishonorable discharge for commissioned officers.
National trend
The incident has drawn attention from pro-life advocacy groups pushing for the prohibition of mailing abortion medications. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, released a statement following the sentencing, arguing that the case highlights risks associated with online pharmaceutical access.
“The latest case proves no part of society is immune to the mail-order abortion drug scourge,” Dannenfelser said in her statement. “Easy access to dangerous abortion drugs online, without so much as an ID check, enables abusers to harm innocent women and children in places where we rightly expect the highest standard of conduct.”
According to the organization, the case is part of a growing national trend involving the coercion and unauthorized use of mail-order abortion medications. The group highlighted several pending legal challenges regarding the loosening of federal restrictions on mifepristone, including an ongoing lawsuit, Louisiana v. FDA, which challenges the removal of in-person dispensing safeguards.
Following the Jones-Adams guilty plea, Dannenfelser and a coalition of over 80 state and national organizations have intensified their appeals to federal law enforcement. The coalition sent a formal letter urging Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Department of Justice to immediately resolve the Louisiana v. FDA lawsuit through a court-ordered consent decree.
The proposed agreement would halt the mail-order distribution of abortion drugs nationwide while the FDA conducts a renewed safety review. Dannenfelser said federal authorities possess the direct power to regulate online pharmaceutical vendors and prevent similar incidents of domestic exploitation.
“It isn’t good enough to react after these crimes happen,” she said. “They can, and must, be stopped.”
