Vernon Wilson, Civil Rights Violations, Missouri 2005
Washington D.C. - In a shocking turn of events, Vernon Wilson, former Chief Deputy of the Washington County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, has been charged with six counts of civil rights violations and one count of making false statements to the FBI.
According to the indictment, Wilson allegedly caused four separate incidents of assault on inmates at the Washington County Jail in the summer and fall of 2005. The indictment alleges that on July 27, 2005, Wilson caused an inmate, identified as J.T., to be assaulted when he placed J.T. in a cellblock that housed an inmate whom Wilson knew was dangerous and would likely assault J.T.
On August 14, 2005, Wilson repeatedly slapped another inmate, identified as J.G., causing J.G.’s head to hit a concrete wall, according to the indictment. The indictment also alleges that on September 29, 2005, Wilson caused an inmate, identified as G.G., to be assaulted when he allowed G.G. to remain in a cellblock that housed the same inmate who had assaulted J.T. several weeks before.
The indictment further alleges that Wilson repeatedly slapped an inmate, identified as W.H., causing W.H.’s head to hit a concrete wall. The indictment also alleges that the assaults resulted in bodily injury to all four inmates.
The indictment also alleges that Wilson lied to a special agent of the FBI, a fact that Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez took seriously, saying “Law enforcement officers are the first line of defense for the U.S. Constitution. The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Department of Justice will aggressively prosecute any person who abuses his or her official authority by deliberately subjecting persons in his or her custody to physical assaults.”
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. If convicted, Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison for the civil rights charges and 10 years in prison for the false statement charges.
Wilson’s daughter, Valeria Wilson Jackson, a former corrections officer at Washington County Jail, who worked under her father at the time of these alleged offenses, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of obstruction of justice for intentionally misleading the FBI about her role in one of the assaults at the jail on July 14, 2010.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s St. Louis office and is being prosecuted by Civil Rights Division Trial Attorneys Patricia Sumner and Fara Gold.
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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