St. Croix Prison Guards Convicted of Brutal Assault on Inmate

St. Croix, VI – In a shocking display of law enforcement corruption, two former correctional officers at the John A. Bell Correctional Facility have been convicted of brutalizing an inmate and falsifying reports of the incident.

A federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Maxwell Bryan, 53, and Elvin Bloice, 72, for depriving the inmate of his rights under color of law and obstruction of an FBI investigation. Bloice was also convicted of making materially false statements to the FBI.

According to the evidence presented at trial, on September 17, 2021, Bryan cornered the inmate and lifted, pushing him into his cell. Once inside, Bryan punched the inmate twice on the forehead and choked him. Bloice stood in front of the cell and partially closed the door to prevent the assault from being captured by the facility’s video cameras.

The assault was in retaliation for an incident on August 23, 2021, when the inmate kicked the door of Bryan’s vehicle. After the assault, both Bryan and Bloice knowingly submitted false incident reports denying any assault occurred. Bloice again denied the assault to the FBI on October 4, 2021.

United States Attorney Delia L. Smith vowed to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all citizens, including inmates who rely on correctional officers to protect them. “This case warranted attention from the Department of Justice because of the Color of Law violations that makes it a crime for anyone to abuse their legal power or authority to deprive another of their rights,” Smith said.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by United States Attorneys Evan Rikhye and Dan Huston. Deputy Chief Forrest Christian of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division provided invaluable assistance in the prosecution of this case.

Bryan and Bloice will face justice for their heinous crimes. This case serves as a reminder that law enforcement corruption will not be tolerated and those who abuse their power will be held accountable.