Former Deputy at Bullitt County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Office Indicted for Civil Rights Violations

Deputy Sheriff Allegedly Charged a Bullitt County, Kentucky, Resident with Crimes He Did Not Commit

A former deputy with the Bullitt County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Office was charged today by federal grand jury indictment with two counts of willfully depriving an arrestee of his constitutional rights under color of law, announced by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn Jr. of the Western District of Kentucky.

The indictment alleges that Matthew Corder, 51, of Louisville, Kentucky, arrested D.B., a Bullitt County resident, on Oct. 22, 2014, without probable cause to believe that D.B had committed a crime and that Corder unlawfully entered D.B.’s home to effect the arrest.

The indictment further alleges that on Oct. 23, 2014, Corder charged D.B. with two crimes that he did not commit, and included false and misleading information in the charging document that caused D.B. to be detained in jail pending resolution of the charges.  The charges, disorderly conduct and fleeing and evading, were eventually dismissed.

If convicted, Corder faces a maximum statutory punishment of 10 years of imprisonment on the first charge and one year of imprisonment on the second charge.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and Corder is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Louisville Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory of the Western District of Kentucky, and Trial Attorney Christopher Perras of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.