Ex-Deputy Matthew Corder Gets 27 Months for Civil Rights Abuse

Former Bullitt County Deputy Sheriff Matthew Corder of Louisville, Kentucky, is headed to federal prison for 27 months after being convicted of stomping on a citizen’s constitutional rights in a fit of retaliation. U.S. District Judge David J. Hale handed down the sentence Tuesday, ordering Corder to serve 27 months behind bars followed by one year of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Corder, once sworn to protect and serve, instead weaponized his badge against a Bullitt County resident who dared to insult him. The evidence painted a brutal picture: Corder unlawfully stormed the man’s home, tased him in the back without warning, and hauled him off on bogus charges—disorderly conduct, fleeing and evading, and resisting arrest—all fabricated to cover his abuse of power. The victim sat in jail for weeks and lost his job. All charges were later dismissed.

At trial in Louisville, a federal jury took just days to convict Corder on two counts of willfully depriving a man of his civil rights under color of law. The four-day trial exposed a cover-up. Testimony from the victim, his sister, and the other officer on scene shredded Corder’s version of events. Even Corder’s own police academy instructors took the stand to confirm he knew exactly what the law allowed—and that his actions were a clear violation.

Body-camera footage and Corder’s own falsified arrest report sealed his fate. The video showed no provocation, no threat—just a cop exacting revenge. The false report attempted to paint the victim as violent and noncompliant, a narrative the jury rejected outright. Instead, they saw a law enforcement officer who betrayed his oath and trampled on the very rights he was sworn to defend.

“Matthew Corder abused that authority, and today he is held to account,” said U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn Jr. “His actions are not representative of the good and honorable work that distinguishes our law enforcement agencies in the Western District of Kentucky.” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta added, “By violating the law and abusing the public’s trust, Corder undermined the integrity of the justice system in Bullitt County.”

The court also ordered Corder to pay restitution to the victim, with the amount to be determined within 90 days. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Louisville Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Corder’s badge is gone. His freedom is next.”