Editor’s note: This article was originally published on February 5, 2026, and has since been updated to include additional information provided by the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel regarding the charges and conduct underlying the court-martial.
A U.S. Army sergeant assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division was convicted at a general court-martial at Fort Hood after pleading guilty to multiple aggravated assault offenses, following a series of violent incidents in Killeen, Texas that were investigated by both civilian authorities and the U.S. Army.
On January 14, 2026, Sergeant Forlando D. Dean, U.S. Army, pleaded guilty before a military judge to two specifications of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, in violation of Article 128 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The case was heard judge-alone pursuant to a plea agreement.
The military judge sentenced Dean to 20 months of confinement and a dishonorable discharge, ending his military career. The sentence was consistent with the negotiated plea agreement.
Initial Reporting Based on Civilian Records and Public Court-Martial Summary
The Salty Soldier’s initial reporting on this case relied on civilian court records, Bell County law enforcement affidavits, and the Army’s publicly released court-martial summary, which did not describe the firearm-related conduct underlying the aggravated assault convictions.
Those records documented a series of domestic violence and related incidents involving Dean and his wife, which first drew the attention of civilian authorities in Bell County in 2025.
Domestic Violence Investigation Involving His Wife
According to a Bell County probable-cause affidavit, officers were dispatched to the couple’s residence in September 2025 following a reported disturbance. When officers arrived, Dean was no longer present.
The responding officer wrote that Dean’s wife initially advised that nothing had occurred and stated that her husband had already left the residence. The officer reported confronting her and advising that he had seen Dean at the location.
After that exchange, she provided additional context about the events leading up to the incident.
She told the officer she had gone out earlier in the evening with friends and that her phone had died while she was out. Because she was not answering her phone, her mother contacted Dean, her husband, out of concern. According to her statement, after she returned home, an argument broke out inside the bedroom.
She reported that during the argument, Dean began punching her. She pointed out areas where she said she had been struck, including her face, left thigh, and right lower back, and told officers she felt pain while being hit.
The officer noted that no visible injuries were initially observed. However, later during the interaction, the officer observed swelling beginning to form on her left thigh, which he documented as consistent with having been struck.
Dean, according to the report, denied that an assault occurred and characterized the incident as an argument.
Based on the wife’s statements and the visible injury observed, the officer determined there was probable cause that Dean had intentionally or knowingly caused bodily injury to a family member. Dean was taken into custody and charged with assault causing bodily injury to a family member, a Class A misdemeanor under Texas law.
Court records show that the September assault was not the first time Bell County law enforcement had responded to incidents involving Dean and his wife in 2025.
In earlier cases that year, Dean was arrested on charges including criminal trespass of a habitation and criminal mischief, both involving his wife’s residence after the couple was separated.
According to charging documents, Dean entered and remained at his wife’s residence without her effective consent after being told that entry was forbidden and after being instructed to leave. The complainant reported that Dean returned to the residence despite being told not to come back and refused to depart when ordered.
In a separate incident weeks later, police were again dispatched to the same residence after reports of property damage. Dean’s wife told officers that he had returned and caused damage to the front door while attempting to gain entry. She estimated approximately $700 in damage.
Officers documented damage consistent with forced entry. Dean was arrested and transported to the Bell County Jail on charges of criminal mischief and criminal trespass. Court records show the cases were handled separately but involved the same parties and location.
Post-Publication Response From the Army Revealed Firearm-Related Conduct
After publication, The Salty Soldier contacted the U.S. Army seeking comment and additional information. In response, the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) provided charge sheets and clarification that the aggravated assault convictions stemmed from a separate firearm-related incident, not the domestic violence charge involving Dean’s wife.
According to the referred charge sheet, on or about May 24, 2025, Sergeant Forlando D. Dean, then assigned to Delta Company, 6th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, wrongfully and willfully discharged a handgun at two individuals outside their residence in Killeen, Texas.
Military prosecutors alleged that Dean fired the weapon under circumstances that endangered human life, forming the basis for two specifications of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon under Article 128, UCMJ, to which Dean later pleaded guilty.
Additional Charges Detailed in the Referred Charge Sheet
The charge sheet further shows that the shooting incident resulted in additional charges that were referred to court-martial but not reflected in the final convictions.
Those charges included two specifications of willfully discharging a firearm and endangering human life in violation of Article 114, UCMJ, based on Dean firing the handgun at two individuals during the May 24, 2025 incident.
The charge sheet also alleges that during the same incident, Dean damaged non-military property by shooting a civilian Dodge Challenger, causing approximately $4,319.27 in damage, in violation of Article 109, UCMJ.
A separate Article 109 specification stemmed from an incident on or about June 26, 2025, in which Dean was accused of willfully and wrongfully damaging a residence by kicking in the front door, causing damage in excess of $1,000.
Domestic Violence Charge Also Referred to Court-Martial
In addition to the firearm-related charges, the Army also referred a domestic violence offense under Article 128b, UCMJ, tied to the September 2025 assault involving Dean’s wife.
According to the specification, Dean was accused of unlawfully striking his intimate partner in the jaw, thigh, and back with his hand during an incident on or about September 26, 2025, at or near Killeen, Texas.
That allegation mirrored the earlier civilian assault investigation documented by Bell County law enforcement and formed part of the overall pattern of conduct reviewed by military prosecutors.
In a statement provided to The Salty Soldier, the lead prosecutor emphasized that the firearm-related conduct was the primary focus of the court-martial convictions: conviction.
In a statement provided to The Salty Soldier, the lead prosecutor emphasized the seriousness of the firearm conduct:
“Sgt. Forlando Dean willfully and criminally discharged a firearm in a manner which could have resulted in the death or serious injury of other Soldiers and citizens. This case exemplifies the ongoing partnership between the United States Army and the local jurisdictions we serve. That partnership enabled swift justice for the public and the victims in this case,” said Capt. Luke Wegzyn, prosecutor, Fifth Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.
The offenses were resolved through a general court-martial, the highest level of military criminal court. A dishonorable discharge is the most severe punitive separation under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and results in the permanent loss of veterans benefits, including the legal ability to own firearms.
The Salty Soldier is withholding the names of victims and civilians referenced in court records.
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