Former Kentucky Deputy Jailer Who Solicited Prisoner To Attack Another Inmate Sentenced

A former deputy jailer at the Shelby County Detention Center in Kentucky was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment Monday for soliciting a prisoner to assault another inmate.

According to a press release from the Department of Justice, during one of the shifts, the jailer, identified as 31-year-old William Anthony Carey, asked 30-year-old Corey Lynn Hopper to assault another unidentified inmate.

"Carey told Hopper about a personal vendetta Carey had against the other inmate, and asked Hopper to ‘take care of’ him. That night, while the inmate slept, Hopper beat him, punching and kicking the inmate multiple times. The assault left the victim with severe facial fractures and missing teeth," the press release stated.

In March 2019, Carey pleaded guilty to "willfully depriving an inmate of his right to be free from unreasonable force while acting under color of law." In January this year, he also pleaded guilty to "aiding and abetting a person acting under color of law in willfully depriving an inmate of his right to be free from unreasonable force."

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Gregory F. VanTatenhove sentenced the accused to serve 48 months in federal prison "for violating the civil rights of an inmate in his custody."

Speaking about the incident, Robert M. Duncan, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky said in the press release, "Excessive and unreasonable force perpetrated by, or directed by, a member of law enforcement is disgraceful and criminal. It undermines what our system of justice stands for and it damages the integrity of law enforcement. We have a distinct responsibility to combat it with all the tools available to us. Everyone is entitled to be free of this despicable conduct. I want to commend the FBI for their work in successfully investigating this case, bringing some sense of justice to the victim of this conduct."

Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, said, "The duty of correctional officers is to uphold the law and protect the people within their care. These actions are not only illegal and morally wrong, they go against the oath this officer took when he entered the job. This division will continue to work to protect the civil rights of all Americans, and vigorously prosecute those who violate them."