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Deputy Warden Charged with Civil Rights Offense
A federal grand jury indicted Melvin Hilson, 49, a deputy warden at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, for repeatedly striking an inmate and knocking him to the ground, resulting in injury to the inmate in 2016.
The indictment charges Hilson with a felony civil rights offense for assaulting the inmate when he was a member of the K-9 Unit at the prison, also known as Parchman. The indictment also alleges that Hilson wrote a false report to conceal his unlawful assault and, later, lied to investigators from the Mississippi Department of Corrections when questioned about the assault.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi, and FBI Jackson Special Agent in Charge Michelle Sutphin announced the indictment yesterday.
This case was investigated by the Jackson Division of the FBI. Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Cameron Bell of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Mims of the Northern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
In 2016, Melvin Hilson, a deputy warden at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, allegedly assaulted an inmate, leaving him injured.
The indictment charges Melvin Hilson with civil rights offense for repeatedly striking an inmate and knocking him to the ground in 2016.
Defendant: Melvin Hilson
Crime: Felony civil rights offense
City and State: Mississippi
Date: 2016
Sentence or Outcome: Currently indicted, awaiting trial
Dollar Amounts: None
Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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