Two men, including Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal, were charged with civil rights violations in connection with the beatings of two men.
The superseding indictment charges Ackal with one count of conspiracy against rights for conspiring in the spring of 2014 to assault a man who had been arrested on battery charges for allegedly assaulting one of Ackal’s relatives.
Ackal, along with Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Savoy and former Captain Mark Frederick, were charged with civil rights violations in the Western District of Louisiana.
The indictment alleges that the men conspired to assault the man, a pre-trial detainee at the Iberia Parish Jail (IPJ) in September 2011.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Lafayette Resident Agency, with Senior Litigation Counsel Joseph G. Jarzabek, Special Litigation Counsel Mark Blumberg, and Trial Attorney Tona Boyd leading the prosecution.
Ackal, Savoy, and Frederick each face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each of the civil rights violations, as well as a potential $250,000 fine for each count.
The charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Nine former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office employees previously entered guilty pleas in related cases, including former IPJ Warden Wesley Hayes, former IPJ Assistant Warden Jesse Hayes, and former Lieutenant Bret Broussard of the Narcotics Unit.
Defendant: Louis Ackal
Crime: Conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under color of law
State: Louisiana
Date: April 29, 2011 (related case) and 2014 (related case)
Sentence: Maximum 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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