New Indictment Stemming from Civil Rights Investigation into Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Alleges Two Deputies Abused Inmate

LOS ANGELES—Two Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies who were assigned to the Men’s Central Jail have been indicted on federal civil rights charges that accuse them of illegally using force against an inmate and then attempting to cover up the incident with false reports that formed the basis of a false prosecution initiated against the victim.
A federal grand jury late yesterday returned a four-count indictment against two deputies who were assigned to the 3000 floor of the jail.
The indictment charges Joey Aguiar, 26, and Mariano Ramirez, 38. Both men will be issued summonses directing them appear in federal court for arraignments on March 6.
According to the indictment, Aguiar and Ramirez illegally used force against the victim—who is identified in the indictment as BP—during an incident in the jail on February 11, 2009. While the victim was handcuffed and secured with a “waist chain,” the deputies allegedly punched and kicked the victim before using pepper spray on him. The defendants also are accused of striking him with flashlight.
Soon after the attack, the deputies allegedly wrote false reports designed to cover up the illegal use of force. Those bogus reports formed the basis of a referral to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for potential criminal prosecution of the victim.
The indictment charges both defendants with conspiring to violate civil rights and with deprivation of rights under color of law that caused bodily injury. Each of these charges carry a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
The indictment also charges Aguiar with one count of falsification of records for submitted a report that allegedly “falsely stated, among other things, that victim-inmate BP had attempted to head butt deputy Aguiar’s face and that victim-inmate BP violently kicked at deputy Aguiar” when the victim had done neither. Ramirez is also charged with falsification of records for submitting a report that falsely stated the victim had “viciously kicked his legs at deputies.” The charge of falsification of records carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Previously in this investigation, 18 current and former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies were indicted on various corruption and civil rights offenses (see: http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/2013/143.html). All of those previously charged have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial later this year.
The investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is ongoing, is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Two Federal Inmates Found Guilty of Racially Motivated Murder

ATLANTA—A federal district court jury found Donald R. LaFond and Jason Robert Widdison guilty of second-degree murder. LaFond and Widdison are both federal prison inmates.
“This verdict shows that, even within the federal prison system, violent offenders must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The fact that this particular homicide was motivated by racial animus makes these defendants’ actions all the more reprehensible. The Department of Justice and its Bureau of Prisons endeavor to protect the life and safety of every federal inmate. We remain vigilant and will do everything we can to ensure that prisons are as safe as possible for every inmate and employee.”
Ricky Maxwell, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated, “The FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Special Investigations Section, was determined to bring these two violent inmates forward and hold them accountable for the murder of a fellow inmate with the firm understanding that within the federal prison system, the rule of law still applies.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: On March 1, 2011, LaFond and Widdison, both members of white supremacist prison gangs, were exercising inside the special housing unit recreation area of the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. The victim, a white inmate who was not a gang member, joined the defendants in the area and attempted to make conversation and walk around with them.
After a short period of time, LaFond and Widdison suddenly began to punch the victim from both front and behind, knocking the victim to the ground. Both LaFond and Widdison then stomped on the victim’s head and neck, as many as 10 times each. A correction officer witnessed the incident and intervened. Both men complied with the officers’ orders to stop beating the victim, but by then, the victim was unconscious. The victim was taken to a hospital but never regained consciousness. As a result of his injuries, the victim died on April 5, 2011.
The evidence at trial showed that, in the weeks leading up to the assault, Donald R. LaFond, Jr., 53, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Jason Robert Widdison, 35, of Morgan, Utah, expressed anger towards the victim because the victim refused to protest the fact that he had a black cellmate. The defendants pressured the victim to take any steps necessary to be reassigned to another cell. Further evidence showed that the victim refused to comply with the defendants’ demands and that the defendants regarded this refusal as a violation of their gang code.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nekia S. Hackworth and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.Presse-mails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.