Six federal inmates charged with lewdly exposing themselves to prison staff

Jesup inmates face additional prison time

Brunswick, GA – Six federal inmates face having more time added to their prison sentences after lewdly exposing themselves to prison staff.

The inmates, serving federal prison sentences at Federal Correctional Institution Jesup in southeast Georgia, are charged with Public Indecency as filed in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Ga., said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Many of the inmates have prior records of lewdly exposing themselves to staff members.

The charges are classified as misdemeanors, and can extend the inmates’ scheduled release date by up to 12 months, along with a year of supervised release and substantial fines.

Those charged are:

    Lesly Richard, 28, of Los Angeles, serving a sentence for being a felon in possession of firearm, with a scheduled release date of Jan. 12, 2022;

    Doniel Porter, 30, of Brunswick, Ga.; serving a sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, with a scheduled release date of Dec. 24, 2021;

    Henry Watson, 38, of Milton, Fla.; serving a sentence for possession and distribution of more than 38 grams of cocaine and illegal possession of a firearm, with a scheduled release date of Oct. 31, 2028;

    James Thornton, 50, of Rock Island, Ill., serving a sentence for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, with a scheduled release date of April 29, 2022;

    Patrick Turner, 34, of Margate, Fla., serving a sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with a scheduled release date of Oct., 24, 2028; and,

    Tracy McCants, 35, of Jonesboro, Ga., serving a sentence for conspiracy to possess more than 280 grams of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of July 10, 2023. .

“The staff members at our federal correctional institutions serve honorably and under often difficult conditions as they maintain safe environments for incarcerated felons,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “These prosecutions should send a message to all inmates that this reprehensible behavior will not be tolerated – and will result in more time behind bars.”

“The number of incidents of inmate abuse of female prison staff is unacceptable,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is committed to making sure those numbers decrease dramatically by setting an example with cases like this, that if you choose to act out in perverse ways you will extend your stay in prison.”

Federal inmate abuse of female staff members has increased in recent years, with more than 850 cases of exposure in 2016, more than 1,000 in 2017 and 1,269 in 2018.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Marcela C. Mateo and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katelyn Semales prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.