In a case that has rocked Pike County and reignited debate over abuse of power within the justice system, a former Deputy County Magistrate has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for assaulting multiple prisoners under his custody.
According to court documents, the former official — once regarded as a “pillar of discipline” inside the county’s legal system — used his position to intimidate, humiliate, and physically harm inmates, many of whom were awaiting trial and not yet convicted of any crime.
Investigators say the assaults happened over a period of several months, often in areas without security cameras. Victims later described being punched, kicked, and struck with objects while handcuffed or restrained. One inmate told investigators,
“He wanted to remind us who had the power — and he enjoyed it.”
The investigation began after an anonymous letter reached the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, detailing incidents of violence that had gone unreported for too long. That letter led to a multi-agency probe involving the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, which uncovered a disturbing pattern of abuse and falsified reports.
During the sentencing hearing, the presiding judge called the crimes “a betrayal of oath, law, and humanity.” Prosecutors emphasized that the defendant’s actions weren’t just illegal — they represented a moral collapse inside an institution meant to protect.
Family members of several victims attended the hearing. Some wept as the judge read the sentence. One victim, now rehabilitated and working as a counselor, said outside the courthouse:
“He thought nobody would believe a prisoner. But today, justice finally believed us.”
The former magistrate will serve 8 years and 4 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He will also be barred for life from holding any position of public authority.
As the news spread through Pike County, many residents expressed both anger and relief — anger that such abuse could happen within their walls, and relief that the truth had finally come out.
In the words of one local reporter covering the case:
“Power can protect, or it can destroy. In this courtroom, accountability won.”