FORT BRAGG, N.C. – A Soldier pleaded guilty to strangling his ex-girlfriend during his court-martial Jan. 21 at the Fort Bragg Courthouse.
Spc. Steven A. Villegas, 24, a Test, Measurement, Diagnostic, Equipment Maintenance Support Specialist assigned to 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, was sentenced by the military judge to five and a half months in prison, reduction in rank to E-1, and a bad conduct discharge from the Army. Per the terms of the plea agreement, he also pleaded not guilty to violating a military protection order.
On Jan. 25, 2025, Villegas was at the victim’s apartment in Lillington, N.C., when an argument turned violent. The victim told Villegas that the relationship was over and in a fit of rage he proceeded to strangle her.
Over an hour later, she eventually convinced Villegas to leave, assuring him they could discuss their relationship at a later time. He travelled to a nearby Dollar General, slept in his car, and then confronted her as she was leaving the apartment complex parking lot with her sister.
She reported the incident to local law enforcement who transferred the case to the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and an investigation was initiated. The victim provided security camera footage of the incident, photos of her injuries and additional evidence which demonstrated Villegas’ guilt. She also testified about the abuse during the court-martial.
“Spc. Steven A. Villegas’ actions were a violent offense against a former intimate partner who was attempting to communicate their relationship was terminated. His conviction is a message to the force that those who commit acts of domestic violence against their current or former intimate partners will be prosecuted and will face lifelong consequences for their conduct,” said Capt. Matthew Ferguson, prosecutor, Second Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.
“While no sentence can undo the harm caused to the victim,” said Special Agent in Charge Al Diaz, Army CID’s Carolinas Field Office. “This outcome was possible due to the bravery of the victim reliving her traumatic experiences by testifying in court and sends a clear message that domestic violence has no place in our ranks.”
Villegas is currently confined at the Harnett County Detention Center awaiting orders to be transferred to a military corrections facility.
This case was investigated by the Lillington Police Department and Army CID’s Carolinas Field Office. It was prosecuted by Ferguson and Capt. Caleb Burton, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 82nd Airborne Division.
The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel is comprised of specially trained military lawyers, legal professionals and support staff responsible for the expert and independent prosecution of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping and other serious criminal offenses. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., OSTC has eight regional headquarters that oversee 28 field offices located across the country to include Europe and Korea. For more information visit [https://www.army.mil/ostc](https://www.army.mil/ostc).
If you would like to report a crime, have information about a crime, or have been the subject or survivor of a crime, you can submit anonymous tips to Army CID at [www.p3tips.com/armycid](http://www.p3tips.com/armycid).