LONDON, Ky. — An investigation into inmate assaults at the Martin County federal prison has concluded, with the sixth and final defendant being sentenced on Wednesday.

Michael Childers, 47, of Harold, who worked as a lieutenant at U.S. Penitentiary Big Sandy, was sentenced to 17 months in prison for falsifying records.

In his plea agreement, he admitted that he and four other prison employees were in the lieutenants’ office in April 2021, when an inmate was brought in to request protective custody. Instead, the guards assaulted the inmate.

Childers admitted to writing an incident report afterward, falsely claiming that the inmate had punched and head-butted him first. He said he did so to impede any investigation into the assault.

The other employees involved have already been sentenced for their crimes. They include:

• Lt. Terry Melvin, 48 months for conspiracy against rights and violating civil rights. Melvin also informed prosecutors that the prison had an “unofficial policy” of assaulting inmates who requested protective custody in order to reduce the population of the special housing unit.
• Lt. Kevin Pearce, 66 months for writing false reports about inmate assaults.
• Case management coordinator Samuel Patrick, 36 months for deprivation of rights.
• Captain’s secretary Clinton Pauley, 40 months for deprivation of rights.

A sixth employee, Lt. Ryan Elliott, who was not involved in the same assault, also pleaded guilty to assaulting another inmate and writing a false report another assault.

The cases were investigated by the FBI and the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Justice.