SHOCKING REVELATIONS: Two former Augusta State Medical Prison correctional officers, Robert Roberson and Marcus Phillips, have been hit with federal charges after a tragic incident at the facility. According to a two-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, the duo is accused of willfully disregarding an inmate’s life-threatening situation, ultimately leading to his death.
The harrowing details of the case reveal that on Oct. 28, 2020, Roberson and Phillips discovered a smoldering fire in an inmate’s cell at Augusta State Medical Prison. Instead of taking immediate action to save the inmate, they left him locked in the cell for several hours while he succumbed to smoke inhalation.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, Acting U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons for the Southern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Augusta Field Office announced the charges against the former officers. They are now facing serious allegations of violating the constitutional rights of an inmate through deliberate indifference to his substantial risk of harm.
Roberson also faces additional charges of falsifying a logbook to cover up his misconduct, a move that only adds fuel to the investigation. The FBI Augusta Resident Agency is currently leading the investigation into this tragic incident.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has assigned Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kirkland for the Southern District of Georgia, Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras, and Trial Attorney Briana M. Clark to prosecute the case. As always, an indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This grim case serves as a stark reminder of the critical need for accountability within correctional facilities and the legal consequences that can follow when lives are endangered by deliberate negligence.
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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