LOUISIANA
Debra Becnel, a former correctional officer, plead guilty to making false statements about medical treatment given to an female inmate who died in custody, according to officials.
Nimali Henry, an inmate at the St. Bernard Parish Prison on April 1, 2014 after she failed to get medical treatment for a serious medical problem during her ten-day incarceration, officials stated.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 22. Becnel is facing up to five years in prison, according to officials.
In pleading guilty, defendant Becnel admitted that Henry, 19, and other inmates told her, as well as other correctional officers, that Henry was ill, needed medical treatment, and might die if she did not get her medical treatment.
Becnel further admitted that, when FBI agents questioned her about Henry’s death, she falsely stated that neither Henry nor the inmates talked to her about Henry’s medical needs, according to officials.
Henry, of Chalmette, was found unresponsive on the floor of her jail cell Tuesday just before 8 a.m., according to Sheriff James Pohlmann. Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful, according to Fox8 News.
“Debra Becnel lied to the FBI about what she knew about Nimali Henry’s death,” stated U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “The public must be able to trust that correctional officers are fulfilling their duties honestly. Public officials who are not truthful during the course of federal investigations must face the consequences of their actions.”
“Debra Becnel deliberately deceived FBI agents during a civil rights investigation,” said Bryan A. Vorndran FBI New Orleans Field Office Special Agent in Charge. “Placed in a position of trust, law enforcement and correctional officers are held to a higher standard. The FBI New Orleans Field Office will continue to prioritize the investigation of federal Civil Rights violations and any other violations of federal law within our correctional facilities.”
In a related case, former Corporal Timothy Williams pleaded guilty on Sept. 18, 2018, to one count of Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law.
In pleading guilty, Williams admitted that he willfully disregarded a substantial risk of serious harm to Henry’s health and safety by failing to take reasonable measures to address her medical conditions.
When Williams is sentenced, he is facing up to life imprisonment.
DOJ NOTED:
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted jointly by Trial Attorney Christine M. Siscaretti of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant United States Attorneys Chandra Menon and Tracey N. Knight of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.