Officials stated that a former Kentucky correctional officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to two charges of deprivation of rights under color of law for assaulting two federal inmates.
According to court documents, Samuel J. Patrick, 42, of Inez, Kentucky, a former Bureau of Prisons corrections officer with the title of Case Management Coordinator, admitted to assaulting the inmates.
Patrick worked at the U.S. Penitentiary Big Sandy.
Patrick admitted that he punished a non-violent inmate by taking him to the ground and repeatedly elbowing him in the head. One of his co-defendants, Clinton L. Pauley, assisted him with the assault.
Patrick also acknowledged that he entered an unlawful agreement with other corrections officers, including Pauley and another co-defendant, then-supervisor Kevin C. Pearce, to cover up what happened.
Patrick’s cover-up included writing false reports and pressuring other corrections officers to join the cover-up.
Regarding the second assault, Patrick also said he punished another non-violent inmate for walking too slowly to his cell. Both of his co-defendants also assaulted the same inmate, according to officials.
Patrick admitted that he wrote a false report and spread a false cover story about the incident.
Patrick faces up to 10 years in prison for each of the assault offenses.
Pauley and Pearce plead not guilty and are scheduled to begin trial on March 6.
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General along with the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Dembo and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.