A former private prisoner transport officer was sentenced in federal court to nine years in federal prison raping a female pretrial detainee’s civil rights by sexually assaulting her, officials announced Tuesday.
According to the plea agreement, Rogeric Hankins, 37, worked as a private prisoner transport officer for Inmate Services Corporation. Hankins picked up detainees who were arrested on out-of-state warrants and transported those individuals back to the jurisdictions that issued the warrants.
On March 31, 2020, Hankins picked up the victim, a female pretrial detainee, from jail in Olympia, Washington, to transport her to a jail in St. Paul, Minnesota.
On April 3, 2020, Hankins stopped the transport van at a rest stop in Joplin, Missouri, before arriving in Minnesota.
Hankins brought the victim into the rest stop to use the bathroom. After the victim used the women’s bathroom, Hankins led her into the men’s bathroom and told her to go into the stall furthest from the door.
Once inside the stall, Hankins began to try to pull the victim’s shirt up. The victim resisted and told Hankins to stop.
In response, Hankins told the victim to be quiet and made her perform a sexual act on him. Hankins then bent the victim over a toilet seat and raped her.
“Hankins abused his power and sexually assaulted the victim while she was extremely vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who abuse their position of power to sexually assault the very people they are sworn to protect will be held accountable. The FBI is committed to protecting the Constitutional rights of all citizens and pursuing justice on behalf of the victims in cases like this.”
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.
Trial Attorney Laura Gilson and former Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted this case.