An Air Force colonel who was convicted of indecent assault and who pleaded guilty to larceny should be imprisoned, discharged and fined $14,000, a military prosecutor told jurors during his court-martial Thursday.

“Col. (Samuel) Lofton systematically abused his power, position and authority to the detriment of the Air Force and to the detriment of those around him,” Capt. John Montgomery, a prosecutor, said during closing arguments in the sentencing phase. “The Air Force will recover, and the stains will fade over time. But (the assault victim) will have memories of this for the rest of her life.”

Defense attorneys said Lofton will suffer consequences because of his court-martial convictions _ especially the indecent assault, which will require him to register as a sex offender in most states.

“It’s not punishment, but it’s punishing,” said Capt. Elizabeth Pullin, one of Lofton’s attorneys, urging jurors not to decide on both a discharge and confinement. “Sometimes justice means mercy.”

Lofton faces anywhere from no punishment to 128 years in prison, discharge from the Air Force, pay forfeiture and fines after pleading guilty last week to 17 counts of larceny, 11 counts of being absent without leave and two counts of dereliction of duty.

Lofton, 49, also faces another 12 years in prison for his conviction Wednesday of indecent assault and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, charges involving two women. He was acquitted of raping a third woman at Sheppard Air Force Base.

The military jury of seven men and two women began deliberating Lofton’s sentence Thursday afternoon. The jury later decided on a sentence, but it was not immediately announced.

Earlier Thursday during the sentencing phase, a base staffer testified that Lofton piled up about $26,000 in personal expenses on his government travel card _ paying for his children’s school lunch program, restaurant meals, gas and plane tickets for his girlfriend and daughter.

Lofton also was reimbursed $14,000 for trips he never took by turning in expense reports indicating he had been doing official business when he was actually in another state, sometimes on weekends, according to testimony.

“He had the Air Force at his fingertips, was on his way to the top and was one of the most powerful men at Sheppard Air Force Base,” Montgomery told jurors during closing arguments. “He doesn’t let the rules stand in his way. Once about every other day he faces a simple decision between right and wrong: to swipe the card or not. ... It really calls into question his integrity and sense of entitlement.”

Lofton, the former 82nd Training Group commander at the base from 2004 until he was removed last year amid an investigation into his financial wrongdoing, did not testify at his trial or sentencing. There was no testimony related to the assault and bad conduct convictions during the sentencing phase.

The defense called no witnesses Thursday but showed pictures from Lofton’s life and career. Pullin did not discuss Lofton’s criminal case during the presentation.

“Are we saying that good military character ... should earn somebody a free pass? No,” Pullin told jurors during closing arguments. “I ask you to focus not just on his career. It’s a life. ... It’s not just about 2004 to now.”