LOUISIANA —A former Deputy U.S. Marshal was sentenced Friday to 45 months in federal prison for assaulting a federal inmate and falsifying an official report to conceal the incident, officials announced Friday.
Joshua Firmin, 49, was convicted in April 2026 following a three-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
Jurors found him guilty of deprivation of rights under color of law and falsification of records.
According to court records, the assault occurred on Feb. 29, 2024, at the federal courthouse in Lafayette, Louisiana, where Firmin was assigned to courthouse operations.
Prosecutors said Firmin learned that a prisoner awaiting a court appearance had made insulting comments about him to another courthouse employee. Firmin then entered the courthouse cellblock, unlocked the inmate’s cell, grabbed the restrained prisoner by the hair, and slammed the inmate’s head into a wall.
The prisoner was restrained with handcuffs, waist shackles and leg irons at the time of the assault. The inmate suffered a scalp laceration that required staples, according to officials.
Authorities said Firmin later filed an official use-of-force report falsely claiming the prisoner had attempted to spit on him and accidentally struck his head while resisting efforts to move him to another cell.
The incident was reported by another Deputy U.S. Marshal who witnessed the assault and notified supervisors, prompting an investigation by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Firmin’s convictions include violating the inmate’s civil rights under color of law and falsifying official records to conceal the assault.
Fact Checklist
- ✅ Defendant identified as Joshua Firmin, 49.
- ✅ Former Deputy U.S. Marshal.
- ✅ Sentenced to 45 months in federal prison.
- ✅ Convicted in April 2026 after a three-day jury trial.
- ✅ Convictions: Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law and Falsification of Records.
- ✅ Assault occurred on Feb. 29, 2024.
- ✅ Incident took place at the federal courthouse in Lafayette, Louisiana.
- ✅ Victim was restrained with handcuffs, waist shackles and leg irons.
- ✅ Victim suffered a scalp laceration requiring staples.
- ✅ False use-of-force report claimed the inmate resisted and struck his head.
- ✅ Misconduct was reported by another Deputy U.S. Marshal.
- ✅ Investigation conducted by the DOJ Office of the Inspector General.