A former Wilcox County jailer has plead guilty for his role in covering up alleged beatings of three inmates.
In his plea, 23-year-old Casey Owens admitted he was present when three inmates were assaulted by former Wilcox County Sheriff Stacy Bloodsworth and his son, Austin.
The assaults took place on July 23, 2009, and ended with one of the inmates suffering a broken jaw.
Owens said he, Stacy Bloodsworth and others agreed to cover up the assault, including filing false reports and making false statements.
"When an officer abuses his authority, he brings shame on the men and women in uniform who honorably protect and serve us all," said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Michael Moore, in a press release.
Owens faces a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison.
Federal charges are still pending against the two Bloodsworths.
TIMELINE FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:
On Feb. 17, 2012, the Justice Department unsealed a 14-count indictment against Stacy Bloodsworth; Austin Bloodsworth; Owens; and former Wilcox County Jail Trustee Willie James Caruthers. The indictment charges the four defendants with civil rights violations in connection with the July 23, 2009, assault of the three inmates and with conspiring to cover up the assaults. In addition, the indictment charges Stacy Bloodsworth, Austin Bloodsworth and Caruthers with lying to the FBI, and it charges Caruthers and Owens with writing false reports. Stacy Bloodsworth was also charged with tampering with one of the victims, as well as with tampering with two witnesses. In May 2012, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment, which, in addition to the civil rights and obstruction of justice charges stemming from the July 23, 2009, assaults, also charges Stacy Bloodsworth with violating the civil rights of individuals on two other occasions. The superseding indictment charges Stacy Bloodsworth with assaulting a Wilcox County Jail inmate in July 2009, causing him to suffer a laceration and pain, and with assaulting another inmate in November 2009, causing him to suffer a concussion, bruising and pain.
On April 4, 2012, Caruthers pleaded guilty to acting with several others, including law enforcement officials, to assault an inmate inside of the Wilcox County Jail on July 23, 2009. Caruthers also pleaded guilty to conspiring to tamper with a witness in connection with the assault. During his plea hearing and in his factual basis, Caruthers admitted that he, along with several other individuals, including then-Sheriff Stacy Bloodsworth, assaulted a Wilcox County inmate, causing the inmate to suffer a broken jaw. Caruthers acknowledged that he was present when several individuals, including Stacy Bloodsworth, assaulted two other inmates, causing both of them to sustain bruises, scratches and pain. During the plea hearing, Caruthers further admitted he conspired with several other people, including Stacy Bloodsworth, to cover up the fact that law enforcement officials and others had used excessive force against the three inmates. Caruthers acknowledged that the plan of the conspiracy was for the co-conspirators to prepare false reports and submit them to Wilcox County Sheriff's Office officials, and to make statements consistent with those false reports to anyone inquiring about the excessive use of force incident. When Caruthers is sentenced, he faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison on the civil rights violation, and a maximum penalty of up to five years on the conspiracy charge.
On March 5, 2012, former South Central Georgia Drug Task Force Agent Timothy King Jr., 31, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiring to tamper with a witness in connection with the July 23, 2009, assaults of three inmates. During his plea hearing, King admitted that he conspired with several other people, including a law enforcement official, to cover up the fact that law enforcement officials and others had used excessive force against the three inmates. When King is sentenced, he faces a maximum penalty of five years.
The civil rights charges against Stacy Bloodsworth and Austin Bloodsworth carry a maximum penalty of 10 years for each count, and the conspiracy and false statements charges carry a maximum penalty of up to five years. Additionally, Stacy Bloodsworth faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for each count of witness tampering. An indictment is only an accusation, and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christine M. Siscaretti and Special Litigation Counsel Gerard V. Hogan of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia.