Former Lorain County Corrections Officer Charged For Assaulting An Inmate

A former Lorain County corrections officer faces criminal charges for striking a jail inmate multiple times, said Jocelyn Samuels, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Office.

Marlon Tayor, 47, of Vermilion, was charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.

“The vast majority of law enforcement officials do a great job,” Dettelbach said. “When someone abuses the power and privileges of their office, however, they can and will be held accountable.”

The criminal information alleges that on July 29, 2012, Taylor, while working as a corrections officer in the Lorain County Jail, assaulted an inmate identified as Victim 1 by striking him repeatedly, causing bodily injury and depriving Victim 1 the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case.  In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum – in this case, 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine -- and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Cleveland Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antoinette T. Bacon and Lauren Bell and Trial Attorney Betsy Biffl will prosecute the case.

A charge is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.