Press Release
CORRECTIONS OFFICERS AND FORMER INMATE INDICTED ON FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS CHARGES
September 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, John V. Gilles, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Walter Murphree, Inspector General, Florida Department of Corrections, announced the Indictment of former Dade Correctional Institution (“DCI”) officers Cordell J. White, 22, and Christopher W. Bonnet, 21, current DCI Sergeant Obe D. L’Bert, 30, and former DCI inmate Larry T. Williams, 28, a/k/a “Monster,” on charges of violating, and conspiring to violate, the civil rights of other inmates at DCI. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment on each of the three felony civil rights charges. All defendants were arrested today. Defendants Bonnet and Williams made their initial appearances in court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres, and both defendants were released on bond. Defendants White and L’Bert are scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court tomorrow, September 16, 2009, at 2:30 PM before Magistrate Judge Torres.
The Indictment alleges that on October 26, 2008, defendants L’Bert and White arranged for defendant-inmate Williams to assault another inmate, identified in the Indictment as D.T., then moved D.T. to Williams’s cell and waited outside of the cell while Williams assaulted and injured D.T. The Indictment further alleges that on November 1, 2007, defendants White and Bonnet arranged for Williams to assault another inmate, identified in the Indictment as F.H., then escorted Williams to the F.H’s cell and waited outside of the cell while Williams assaulted and injured F.H.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Inspector General’s Office, Florida Department of Corrections, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Osborne of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Edward Chung of the Civil Rights Division.
An Indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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