WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii – A Soldier who pleaded guilty to one specification of domestic violence was also convicted by a military jury for two additional specifications of domestic violence during his court-martial March 16 – 19 at the Wheeler Army Airfield courtroom.
Sgt. 1st Class David A. Silva, 41, an infantryman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Mobile Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was sentenced to four months in prison and reduced in rank to E-5.
In the early morning hours of Christmas day in 2024, Silva called 911 after assaulting his then fiancée in their home on the Helemano Military Reservation.
The victim begged Silva to call for 911 after he pinned her down, punched and strangled her.
After arriving to the scene, officers with the Honolulu Police Department, military police and Emergency Medical Services personnel transported the victim to the hospital where law enforcement interviewed her and photographed her injuries. She was hospitalized for two days for injuries to her head and back.
The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division was notified and initiated an investigation. While being interviewed by Army CID agents, Silva admitted to assaulting the victim but claimed self-defense. He provided photos of his text messages with the victim after the assault.
Silva also admitted to assaulting the victim a few weeks prior, in November 2024, which was confirmed in the victim’s medical records.
At trial the prosecutors admitted photographs of the victim’s injuries, portions of her medical records, the 911 call, and the testimony of the victim, first responders, medical providers, and neighbors who heard the assault and witnessed the victim’s injuries in the days after the assault.
At the beginning of the trial Silva pled guilty to assaulting the victim in November 2024, but then entered a plea of not guilty to the remaining charges and specifications all related to the December 2024 incident.
After reviewing the evidence and hearing eyewitness testimony, the military jury convicted Silva of all charges and specifications related to the December 2024 incident. The victim was engaged to Silva at the time of the offenses, and they were married less than three weeks after the assault.
“Sgt. Silva’s decision to hurt his loved one on Christmas morning is one that falls significantly below what we expect of any servicemember, let alone a senior noncommissioned officer. We hope this conviction sends a message to the force: no matter what your rank or position, domestic violence is abhorrent and will be met with severe consequences,” said Capt. Matthew McCoy, prosecutor, Seventh Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.
“This case is important because it communicates that domestic violence is wrong, regardless of rank. A conviction at a general court-martial shows the severity of the offense and hopefully deters similar offenses in the future,” said Capt. Matthew Brown, prosecutor, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 25th Infantry Division.
Silva will serve his confinement at the Navy’s Pearl Harbor Brig.
This case was investigated by Army CID’s Pacific Field Office and the Honolulu Police Department.
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).