Federal Prison Sentence Handed Down in West Virginia Jail Brutality Case
A former correctional officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy involving unreasonable and unjustified force against inmates, the U.S. Department of Justice reported.
Michael Pack, 40, pleaded guilty on March 30 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 371. Court records show that Pack admitted he and his co-conspirators routinely targeted inmates they believed or perceived to have engaged in misconduct, striking and assaulting them as a form of punishment and retaliation.
Blind Spots and Assaults Behind Closed Doors
To evade detection, Pack and other officers brought inmates to known “blind spots” within the facility—areas not captured on surveillance cameras. In one specific instance detailed in court records, Pack and his co-conspirators repeatedly struck a pretrial detainee and sprayed him with OC spray to punish him for kicking his cell door.
On another occasion, officers escorted a handcuffed pretrial detainee who was not a threat into an interview room not captured on surveillance cameras. Pack admitted that while his co-conspirators assaulted the detainee, he stood by and failed to intervene despite having an opportunity to do so.
Pack Filed False Reports to Hide Inmate Injuries
The conspiracy extended beyond the physical assaults into official record-keeping. Pack admitted to writing false reports that omitted the use of force, failed to document inmate injuries, and hid the fact that victims were taken to unmonitored rooms. In one case, Pack filed a report claiming a detainee sustained no injuries, even though he was present when the victim was escorted from an interview room bleeding from the head.
Justice Department Officials Condemn Officer Abuse
“Michael Pack conspired with other correctional officers to illegally assault and punish inmates in his custody,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While we recognize that the great majority of law enforcement officers discharge their duties with integrity, this defendant abused his authority and has received an appropriate measure of accountability.”
Federal Agencies Conduct Joint Investigation and Prosecution
The announcement of the sentence was made jointly by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon and U.S. Attorney Moore Capito for the Southern District of West Virginia. The investigation was handled by the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office and its Charleston Resident Agency.
The prosecution was led by Trial Attorney Tenette Smith, former Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti, and former Trial Attorney Sam Kuhn of the Civil Rights Division, working in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
