Serving all 7 continents
Camp Kadena
Court Martial Defense
At Bilecki Law Group, We believe every service member has earned their right to an aggressive defense on their day in court. We specialize in taking the fight to the prosecution and winning cases that others said were unwinnable.
Military Court Martial Defense At Kadena Air Base
Often referred to as the “Keystone of the Pacific” due to its highly strategic location off the coast of China, Kadena Air Base on Okinawa could find itself on the frontlines of a hot war with China at any moment. It literally serves as the hub of air power in the Pacific and as such, it hosts some of America’s finest service members who stand ready to lay it all on the line. Unfortunately for those service members, when they run into trouble with the UCMJ there are few options for competent defense counsel. That’s why the team here at Bilecki has committed itself to flying into Okinawa and defending our service members whenever they may have need. Namesake and founder, Tim Bilecki, spent years inside the military justice system as a senior defense counsel for the Army and he can testify first hand just how stacked the cards are in favor of the prosecution. He refuses to let our service members on the frontlines face those damning odds alone. Though Bilecki is based in Tampa, his passport is full of stamps to Japan where he is routinely called in to take the fight right to the heart of the military justice system.
Fighting The Abuse And Misuse Of The UCMJ At Kadena Air Base
It has been proven true time and time again throughout military history that service members who may struggle with discipline in garrison are absolute beasts on the battlefield. There is no reason to believe that it is any different at Kadena Air Base. Good service members who run afoul of the UCMJ and yet, are the exact ones we need on the lines when things get hot.
Just take Frank Lucas who lied about his age to enlist in the Marine Corps at the age of 15 and spent his time in garrison drinking and beating the hell out of grown men in Hawaii. Yet, when he got into the fight on Iwo Jima he jumped on two grenades and lived to talk about en route to the Medal of Honor. Marine Pappy Boyington spent as much time drinking in the Pacific as he did shooting down Japanese planes.
It’s the same story over and over again. Just because a service member Kadena got into a drunken brawl doesn’t mean he needs to be out of uniform. We’ve seen service members at Kadena face some complete bullshit charges and if the prosecution had their way, these badass warfighters would be out of action. We didn’t let them weaken this nation’s security because we flew our asses into Okinawa and took the fight to the prosecution and won.
What UCMJ Charges Can You Fight For Me Out Of Kadena Air Base?
Here at Bilecki, we are ready to take on the cases that other defense attorney’s wouldn’t touch. That’s because we find out far too often that the charges don’t match the facts of the incident or the character of the service member. Excellent service members have been wrongly accused of heinous crimes and if we just took them at face value, justice would not have been delivered. Below you’ll see just a few of the cases that we fight and we think you’ll quickly see that we don’t scare easily.
- UCMJ Article 120 or Article 134 (Sex Offenses) – These cases can include rape, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, sexual assault of a minor, indecent viewing, indecent recording, forcible pandering, indecent exposure, and other Article 120 and Article 120(c) offenses.
There is not hemisphere on this planet where U.S. service members are not facing the injustices of the poorly executed Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP). While we applaud the intent behind the campaign, we just can’t support how it is being conducted.
That’s because allegations are being treated as objective fact and even when there is not enough evidence to bring charges, service members are still being run out of the military through adverse administrative action. If you are accused of these charges you simply can’t count on the truth setting you free. You are going to have to fight to have the truth seen and you need experienced counsel to make that happen. - UCMJ Article 121 (Fraud and Larceny) – We defend cases such as conspiracy to defraud the military, BAH fraud, OHA fraud, extortion, larceny, wrongful appropriation, and more. It is quite often the case that accusations of fraud or wrongful appropriation are, in fact, administrative errors. They didn’t follow the right credit card reconciliation procedure and now prosecutors act like they just caught Al Capone on tax evasion.
- UCMJ Article 128 (Assault and Violent Crime) – We represent service members facing charges including murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, assault, and cases involving self-defense and defense of another. One of the complicated realities of life on Okinawa is that many of the locals have an adversarial approach towards U.S. service members.
This means a local can start it and when one of our service members finishes it, it is our service member that is in trouble. If a makeshift weapon like a pool cue or chair gets involved the charges can escalate quickly. We need service members who know how to fight and we need them at Kadena most of all. This shouldn’t be the end of your career and we will fight to keep you in the fight for this nation. - UCMJ Article 112a (Drug Crimes) – We defend cases involving drug possession, drug distribution, drug importation, drug manufacturing, drug trafficking, positive urinalysis cases, tampering with urinalysis cases, and more. These cases often involve illegal controlled substances such as marijuana, LSD, methamphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, molly, opioids, analogues, and more.
Drugs are illegal in Japan, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t find every drug known to man on the island of Okinawa. It is not uncommon for our service members to get caught up in the local activity and if you don’t have an attorney that understands the various civilian and military jurisdictions at play, this could end poorly for you. Japan takes drug charges seriously and this is not a fight you can win alone. - Punitive Articles of the UCMJ 77-134 (Military Specific Offenses) – These include charges such as fraternization, unauthorized absence (AWOL), disobeying a lawful order, conduct unbecoming an officer, and much more. The punitive charges are often where prosecutors like to pile on charges just to scare you with a more severe maximum punishment. Fighting these charges can help secure the best possible outcome by wiping them off the board.
Fight For Your Career, Retirement, Freedom And Reputation
We say it here often, but you simply cannot coexist with a military justice system that is out to destroy you. Again, you may love the military and intend to make a career of it, but if they are threatening to take your retirement from you after 19 years served you have to fight. If you did make a mistake and warrant some punishment, you have to secure for yourself the best outcome.
It’s possible that as an NCO you did get too friendly with the new E-4 transferred over. However, you didn’t sexually her. Maybe you did get drunk and miss formation, but you were not doing lines of cocaine of a down on the Seawall. Good service members make mistakes and yet, they are quite often the same people that we need when the shooting starts.
If you are facing investigation or court martial out of Kadena Air Base, reach out to us for a free defense strategy session. We’ll shoot you straight on exactly what you are facing. Then, as long as you are willing to fight like hell for your career, freedom and retirement, so are we. We will take the fight to the heart of the prosecution and spare nothing. We’ll conduct our own investigation, destroy their witnesses on cross examination, and restore your reputation as the warfight that this nation deserves.
Facing an Allegation?
Contact Bilecki Law Group
Timothy James Bilecki
Military law attorney
- tbilecki@bileckilawgroup.com
- Tampa, FL 33602
Years of Experience
Court Martial Verdicts
Service Members Represented
Miles Traveled
QUESTIONS? WE GOT YOU COVERED
FAQs About Military Court Martial Defense In Japan
Kadena Air Base, like many other military installations in the region, has been a priority target for CID and NCIS sting operations. These operations are very good at picking up service members for sex offenses involving minors. Other somewhat common criminal offenses include assault charges, theft, and larceny.
We have traveled to Okinawa over 50 times to represent military service members facing court-martial cases. We know the area, we know the commands and we know how to win. Once we land in Naha, you won’t have to worry about babysitting us.
“If you play the game by their rules and on their battlefield, you’ve got an exceptionally low chance of winning. Don’t play by their rules. Give them the last thing they were looking for... a FIGHT!”
- Timothy J. Bilecki
your path to legal defense
Get in Touch
- tbilecki@bileckilawgroup.com
- 813-669-3500
- Bilecki Law Group, PLLC, 601 S. Harbour Island BLVD, Suite 109 Tampa, FL 33602