MONROE, La. – Five former corrections officers at the Richwood Correctional Center (RCC) in Monroe, Louisiana, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to physically assault five inmates in violation of their Constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment, as well as for their roles in covering up their actions, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph.

Roderick Douglas, 37, of Monroe; Christopher Loring, 35, of Monroe; Demario Shaffer, 33, of Delhi, Louisiana; Quintail Credit, 26, of Winnsboro, Louisiana; and David Parker, 27, of Tallulah, Louisiana, were charged in a seven-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Monroe, Louisiana, on March 29, 2018.  The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon initial court appearances of the defendants.

According to the indictment, Douglas was a Captain, Loring was a Lieutenant, Shaffer was a Sergeant, and Credit and Parker were correctional officers. The indictment charges in Count One that the defendants conspired to inflict cruel and unusual punishment upon five inmates by spraying a chemical agent in their face and eyes while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Count Two charges defendants Douglas, Loring, Shaffer, Credit, and Parker with the infliction of cruel and unusual punishment against the inmates, and Count Three charges defendant Loring with failing to intervene in the assaults. The indictment alleges that the assaults charged in Counts One through Three involved a dangerous weapon and resulted in bodily injury to the inmates. Count Four charges the defendants with conspiring to submit false reports concerning the incident, and Counts Five through Seven charge defendants Douglas, Shaffer, and Parker, respectively, with making false statements to the FBI about the incident. 

An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice. The case was investigated by the Monroe Division of the FBI.

MONROE, La. – The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Roderick Douglas, a former supervisor at the Richwood Correctional Center, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to violate the civil rights of five inmates.

Douglas, 38, of Monroe, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiring with five other officers to violate the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.  Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division and Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph made the announcement. 

“Correctional officers who abuse their power and inflict cruel and unusual punishment against the inmates under their care, violate the Constitution,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute unlawful misconduct by correctional officers to protect victims of these abuses and to ensure the integrity of our civil rights laws.”   

“The men and women who work in our prison system have a difficult and dangerous job,” U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph stated.  “However, we expect our correctional facility employees to be professional and respectful of others’ rights.  Those who fail to do so will be held accountable.”

According to his guilty plea, Douglas worked as a Captain at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, where on October 30, 2016, he and other officers conspired to inflict cruel and unusual punishment upon five inmates by spraying a chemical agent in their face and eyes while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Douglas admitted that he and the other officers attempted to hide their conduct by submitting a false story in their official reports concerning the incident.

The count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000.  Douglas is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2019 by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana, who accepted the plea.

The case was investigated by the Monroe Division of the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice, are prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La. – The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that Quintail Credit, a former officer at the Richwood Correctional Center, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday for his role in a conspiracy to cover up the physical assault of five inmates by officers.  Credit, 26, of Winsboro, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiring with other officers to falsify documents with intent to obstruct and influence the investigation of a matter within federal jurisdiction.  Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph made the announcement.

“Any officer who conspires to cover up any crime or physical assault against an inmate violates federal law and will be held accountable under the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Justice Department will continue to prosecute unlawful misconduct by correction officers.”

“Criminal conduct by correctional officers will not be tolerated in the Western District of Louisiana,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.  “Correctional officers deserve our respect for the jobs they do, but we must also hold them accountable when they willfully break the law and cover up the abuse of inmates.”

According to his guilty plea, Credit worked as a correctional officer at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, where on Oct. 30, 2016, he and other officers abused inmates and then conspired to cover it up.  According to Mr. Credit, he and other officers sprayed a chemical agent directly in the faces and eyes of five inmates while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone.  Following that abuse, Mr. Credit and the other officers conspired to hide their conduct by submitting false reports. 

Roderick Douglas, a former supervisor at the Richwood Correctional Center, pleaded guilty in federal court on January 31, 2019 for his role in the conspiracy to violate the civil rights of five inmates.  Sentencing for Douglas is scheduled for June 5, 2019.

The count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000.  Quintail Credit is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2019 by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana, who accepted the plea.

The case was investigated by the Monroe Division of the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, are prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La. – The Justice Department today announced that defendant Christopher Loring, a former officer at the Richwood Correctional Center, pleaded guilty in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to cover up the physical assault of five inmates by officers. Loring, 36, of West Monroe, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiring with other officers to falsify documents with intent to obstruct and influence the investigation of a matter within federal jurisdiction.  Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph made the announcement.

“Abuse of prisoners is illegal and tarnishes the reputation of those correctional officers who work hard every day to perform their duties with distinction and professionalism,” Joseph stated. “To maintain the fairness and integrity of the American justice system, my office will hold accountable any who violate the civil rights of those under their custody.”

“The blatant abuse of power and the obstruction of civil rights will not be tolerated by the Department,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to protect the victims of these abuses and prosecute those who violate their civil rights.”

According to his guilty plea, Loring worked as a correctional officer at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, where on Oct. 30, 2016 he and other officers abused inmates and then conspired to cover it up.  According to Mr. Loring, he failed to intervene when the  other officers sprayed a chemical agent directly in the faces and eyes of five inmates while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone.  Following that abuse, Mr. Loring and the other officers conspired to hide their conduct by submitting false reports. 

Roderick Douglas, a former supervisor at the Richwood Correctional Center, pleaded guilty in federal court on Jan. 31 for his role in the conspiracy to violate the civil rights of five inmates. Sentencing for Douglas is scheduled for June 5, 2019.

The count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000. Mr. Loring is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3, 2019 by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana, who accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, prosecuted the case. The Monroe Division of the FBI investigated the case.

MONROE, La. – Two former corrections officers at the Richwood Correctional Center were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Monroe, Louisiana, for their roles in a conspiracy to cover up the abuse of inmates by officers.  The defendants -- Demario Shaffer, 34, of Delhi, Louisiana, and David Parker, 28, of Tallulah, Louisiana, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to falsify documents with the intent to obstruct and influence the investigation of a matter within federal jurisdiction.  According to the defendants’ plea agreements and admissions in court, Shaffer, Parker, and other officers sprayed a chemical agent directly in the faces and eyes of five inmates while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone.  Following that abuse, the officers conspired to hide their conduct by submitting false reports. 

Shaffer, who was a sergeant at the time, was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison, and Parker, a nonsupervisory officer, was sentenced to serve 21 months.  U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph and Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division made the announcement.

“Abuse of prisoners is illegal and tarnishes the reputation of those correctional officers who work hard every day to perform their duties with distinction and professionalism,” Joseph stated.  “To maintain the fairness and integrity of the American justice system, my office will hold accountable anyone who violates the civil rights of inmates or conspires to cover up the abuse of inmates under their custody.”

 “Conspiring to cover up physical assault against an inmate is in blatant violation of federal law and the Department of Justice will hold violators accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to enforce the laws that prohibit this type of misconduct.”

Two other officers, Roderick Douglas and Christopher Loring have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty on June 5 and July 3.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, prosecuted the case. The Monroe Division of the FBI investigated the case.

MONROE, La. – A former captain at the Richwood Correctional Center was sentenced today for his role in a conspiracy to violate the civil rights of five inmates. Roderick Douglas, 38, of Monroe, Louisiana, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with five other corrections officers to violate the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. According to the defendant’s plea agreement and admission in court, Douglas and other officers sprayed a chemical agent directly in the faces and eyes of five inmates while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Following that abuse, the officers conspired to hide their conduct by submitting false reports. 

Douglas was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana. United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph and Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division made the announcement.

“Correctional officers deserve our respect for the jobs they do, but we must also hold them accountable when they willfully break the law and cover up the abuse of inmates,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “The defendant in this case ignored his role as a caretaker for prisoners and violated the rights of those he was sworn to protect. My office is committed to upholding the laws of our land and the rights of all.”

 “This blatant abuse of power will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Civil Rights Division to vigorously prosecute those who inflict cruel and unusual punishment against inmates under their care.” 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, prosecuted the case. The Monroe Division of the FBI investigated the case.