Deonte Pate, Inmate Assault Cover-Up, Mississippi 2017
A former corrections officer at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, Mississippi, has pleaded guilty to helping conceal the beating of an inmate.
Deonte Pate, 23, admitted to conspiring to cover up the beating carried out by two other officers, who were also charged for their roles in the incident. Pate acknowledged that he submitted false reports and lied to the FBI in order to prevent knowledge of the beating from reaching outside authorities.
The indictment charged officers Lawardrick Marsher, 28, and Robert Sturdivant, 47, with kicking, punching and throwing the victim to the ground. The indictment also alleges that their actions involved the use of a dangerous weapon and resulted in bodily injury to the victim.
Pate faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for March 16, 2017.
The charges against Marsher and Sturdivant are still pending and trial is scheduled for February 6, 2017.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI's Jackson Division, with the cooperation of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Coleman of the Northern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser of the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section.
Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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