Miami Jury Finds Federal Detention Center Inmate Guilty of Assaulting Bureau of Prisons Guard

MIAMI – On Nov. 26, a federal jury found Orel Valdespino Fernandez, 41, guilty of assaulting a corrections officer working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and causing bodily injury. 

On May 5, Valdespino was an inmate at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Miami, being held pre-trial for a crime he ultimately pled guilty to committing. That afternoon, the victim, who was a BOP lieutenant, was doing rounds in Valdespino’s unit to ensure rule compliance. The victim noticed that Valdespino was not complying with a rule, so he instructed Valdespino to follow the rule from outside Valdespino’s cell. When Valdespino refused to do so, the victim entered Valdespino’s cell to verbally counsel him about the rule.

While inside Valdespino’s cell, the victim held out his arm to establish a safe distance from Valdespino while turning his head to have a prison orderly standing behind him translate the reason for the instruction to Valdespino. As the victim did so, Valdespino struck the victim’s arm and then repeatedly struck the victim in the face. A struggle ensued that only ended after one officer pepper sprayed Valdespino and another officer entered the cell to help the victim secure Valdespino. As a result of this assault, the victim sustained a facial injury that left his jaw misaligned as well as a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery and has prevented him from working since.

U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman is scheduled to sentence Valdespino on Feb. 14, 2025, after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case with assistance from BOP. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Keller and Ilana Malkin prosecuted the case.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20318.

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