The Justice Department, along with U.S.
Attorney Michael J. Moore, Middle District of Georgia, today announced that a
grand jury returned a superseding indictment against former Wilcox County
Sheriff Stacy Bloodsworth; his son, Austin Bloodsworth; and former Wilcox
County Jailer Casey Owens. The
superseding indictment charges the defendants with assaulting three different
inmates inside of the Wilcox County Jail on July 23, 2009, thereby violating
their civil rights. As a result of the
assaults, one inmate suffered a broken jaw, and two other inmates sustained
bruises and scratches. The indictment
also charges the defendants with conspiring to cover up the assaults. In addition, Stacy Bloodsworth and Austin
Bloodsworth were charged with lying to the FBI, while Owens was charged with
writing a false report about the incident.
Stacy Bloodsworth was charged with tampering with one of the victims, as
well as two witnesses.
In addition to the civil rights and
obstruction of justice charges stemming from the assaults that took place on
July 23, 2009, the superseding indictment also charges Stacy Bloodsworth with
violating the civil rights of individuals on two other occasions. Former-Sheriff Bloodsworth is charged with
assaulting Wilcox County Jail inmate M.A. in July 2009, causing him to suffer a
laceration and pain. It also charges
the former sheriff with assaulting N.S. in November 2009, causing him to suffer
a concussion, bruising, and pain.
The civil rights charges carry a maximum
penalty of 10 years for each count, and the conspiracy and false statements
charges carry a maximum penalty of up to five years. Additionally, Stacy Bloodsworth faces a
maximum penalty of 20 years for each count of witness tampering, while Owens
faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for his writing a false report.
A
prior indictment, which was unsealed on Feb. 17, 2012, charged Stacy
Bloodsworth, Austin Bloodsworth, Owens and former Wilcox County Jail trustee
Willie James Caruthers with civil rights violations in connection with the July
23, 2009, assault of the three inmates; with conspiring to cover up the
assaults; and with committing various obstruction of justice offenses.
On April 4, 2012, defendant Caruthers pleaded
guilty to acting with several others, including law enforcement officials, to
assault an inmate in the Wilcox County Jail on July 23, 2009. Caruthers also pleaded guilty to conspiring
to tamper with a witness in connection with the assault. During his plea hearing and in his factual
basis, Caruthers admitted that he, along with several other individuals,
including law enforcement officers, assaulted Wilcox County inmate K.H.,
causing K.H. to suffer a broken jaw.
Caruthers further admitted that he was present when several individuals,
including then-Sheriff Bloodsworth, assaulted inmates K.F. and T.O., causing
both of them to sustain bruises, scratches and pain. Caruthers further admitted that he conspired
with several other people, including Stacy Bloodsworth, to cover up the fact
that law enforcement officials and others had used excessive force against
inmates K.H., K.F. and T.O. Caruthers
acknowledged that the plan of the conspiracy was for the co-conspirators to
prepare false reports and submit them to Wilcox County Sheriff’s Office
officials, and to make statements consistent with those false reports to anyone
inquiring about the excessive use of force incident. When Caruthers is sentenced, he faces a
maximum penalty of up to 10 years on the civil rights violation, and a maximum
penalty of up to five years on the conspiracy charge.
On March 5, 2012, former South Central
Georgia Drug Task Force Agent Timothy King Jr., 31, pleaded guilty to a bill of
information charging him with conspiring to tamper with a witness in connection
with the July 23, 2009 assaults of inmates K.H., K.F. and T.O. During his plea hearing, King admitted that
he conspired with several other people, including a law enforcement official,
to cover up the fact that law enforcement officials and others had used
excessive force against the three inmates.
When King is sentenced, he faces a maximum penalty of up to five years.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is
being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Gerard V. Hogan and Trial
Attorney Christine M. Siscaretti of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights
Division and Assistant United States Attorney Paul C. McCommon III of the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
An indictment is a formal accusation of
criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent
unless and until proven guilty.
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