Two former Florida corrections officers have pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the civil rights of an inmate at a state prison in Chipley, Florida.
William F. Finch, 35, of Wauseau, Florida, and Dalton E. Riley, 24, of Bethlehem, Florida, admitted to physically assaulting an inmate at the Northwest Florida Reception Center on August 5, 2014, without justification, causing the inmate bodily injury.
The assault was part of a conspiracy to violate the civil rights of the inmate, and Finch falsified reports of the incident by falsely stating that the assault was in response to the inmate spitting on another officer.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Corrections – Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gayle E. Littleton.
Finch and Riley are scheduled to be sentenced on July 1, 2015, before United States District Judge Richard Smoak at the United States Courthouse in Panama City, Florida. Robert L. Miller, 48, of Lynn Haven, Florida, a co-defendant, pleaded guilty on April 1 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is committed to protecting the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States.
The case highlights the importance of holding corrections officers accountable for their actions and ensuring that inmates are treated with dignity and respect.
Related Federal Cases
- John B. Sawyer, Violating Civil Rights, Charleston SC, 2004 · Florida
- Jarrod Anthony Yates, Civil Rights Violation, Sallisaw OK, 2006 · Florida
- Benjamin Haskell, Civil Rights Violation, MA, 2023 · Massachusetts
- Paul Tillis, Violated Inmate’s Civil Rights, Raiford FL, 2005 · Ohio
- Roberto Minuta, Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction, Prosper TX, 2021 · Florida
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