Fayetteville Woman Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaugter in Death of Fort Bragg Soldier

RALEIGH—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court, Sarah Ashley Rogers, 22, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge W. Earl Britt to 96 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,388,145.29. On September 19, 2013, Rogers pled guilty to one count of involuntary mManslaughter in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1112, and one count of driving while impaired in violation of Title 18, United States Code section 13, assimilating North Carolina General Statute 20-138.1.

The investigation revealed that in the early morning hours of December 8, 2012, Rogers was stopped at an impaired driving checkpoint on Bragg Boulevard operated by Fort Bragg Law Enforcement. The officers immediately noticed extensive front end damage to the car, including what appeared to be blood and brain matter embedded in the shattered windshield. As they approached Rogers, police noticed that both airbags in the car had recently deployed. When they approached the car, Rogers stated that she “may” have hit something. A breathalyzer test was administered to Rogers, and the intoximeter calculated her blood alcohol concentration at 0.25 percent. The body of Private Richard Bradley Powell was found approximately 1.4 miles from the checkpoint, and he was declared dead at the scene. Private Powell had recently finished basic training and had arrived at Fort Bragg only a few days prior. At the time he was struck by Rogers, he was wearing his army-issue physical training jacket, which had a reflective strip. That night, Private Powell had left his barracks room, walked to a convenience store on Fort Bragg, purchased groceries, and walked back towards his barracks. As he crossed over Bragg Boulevard at Gruber Road, he was struck by Rogers, who was traveling north at approximately 75 mph in a 50 mph zone and did not apply her brakes. He was in the well-lit intersection. Private Powell did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Fort Bragg Military Police, Fort Bragg Criminal Investigative Detachment, Fort Bragg Department of the Army Uniformed Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Leslie Cooley and former Special Assistant United States Attorney David Coleman prosecuted the case of the government.