LONDON, Ky. (WIRC) — Three federal correctional officers were indicted by a federal grand jury in London, Kentucky, on Thursday for their alleged roles in assaults against two inmates and subsequent cover-ups.
Officers Samuel Patrick, 41, and Clinton Pauley, 40, were charged with assaulting one inmate and attempting to cover it up. Their supervisory officer, Lt. Kevin Pearce, 37, was charged with helping to cover up the assault. Pauley was also charged with assaulting a second inmate and attempting to cover up that assault.
According to the indictment, Patrick and Pauley, who were officers at the U.S. Penitentiary-Big Sandy, physically assaulted an inmate on April 29, 2021.
The indictment also alleges that the assault resulted in bodily injury and that Patrick, Pauley and Pearce attempted to cover up the assault by writing false reports.
Patrick and Pearce were also charged with witness tampering based on their supposed efforts to pressure a fellow correctional officer to write an untruthful report that omitted the assault.
On March 26, 2021, Pauley also allegedly assaulted a different inmate who was being escorted away from the prison’s lieutenants’ office at Big Sandy, and the assault resulted in bodily injury, according to the indictment. Pauley is charged with attempting to cover up that assault as well.
The maximum penalties for the charged crimes are 10 years of imprisonment for the assault offenses, and 20 years of imprisonment for each of the witness tampering and false report offenses.
The Office of the Inspector General and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Dembo for the Eastern District of Kentucky is prosecuting the case in partnership with Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division.
This is a developing story, stay with 8News for further reporting.
