United States Attorney Gregory K. Harris announced today the Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) who will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris Announces Election Day Program, Third Illinois Prison Guard Convicted of Civil Rights Deprivation Resulting in Bodily Injury and Death and Obstruction Charges, Justice Department Secures $293,000 Jury Award Against City of Springfield, Illinois, for Discriminating Against People with Disabilities, Illinois Prison Guard Pleads Guilty To Inmate Assault That Resulted In Death. . Sean M. Cox, FBI Special Agent in Charge stated: "The FBI is committed to vigorously investigating allegations of Constitutional violations by law enforcement officers, including correctional officers, who in this investigation have been indicted with violating the civil rights of Mr. Earvin. Haubrich was not criminally charged over Earvins death, but he is named in a civil lawsuit filed by Earvins family over the alleged beating. Give this article Larry. . Willie Hedden admitted he violated the civil rights of Larry Earvin, 65, while Earvin was handcuffed at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. . The case was turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IDOC cooperated fully with federal authorities. The City of Mount Sterling is located in Brown County in the State of Illinois. She joined the staff after graduating from Eastern Illinois University. All rights reserved. Earvin, who was serving a six-year sentence for robbery in Cook County and was scheduled to be paroled in September 2018, died at a Centralia Correctional Center hospital on June 26, 2018 as a result of those injuries. Mt Sterling Fire Department. Court records said he was assaulted May 17, 2018, and suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon and other serious internal injuries. He had been set to be released just months later after serving a six-year sentence for a Cook County robbery, but died June 26, 2018. Willie Hedden of Mount Sterling pleaded guilty . Willie Hedden, 42, of Mount Sterling, entered the plea to two counts of civil rights violations and one count of providing misleading information in the subsequent investigation of the May. Willie Hedden, of Mount Sterling,entered the pleato two counts of civil rights violations and one of providing misleading information in the subsequent investigation of the May 17, 2018 injuries sustained Earvin. phone number (217) 773-3857 (314) 382-0501 and 1 more. 18:1512B.F: INTIMIDATION OR FORCE AGAINST WITNESS - On or about May 18, 2018, in Brown County, the Defendant knowingly engaged in misleading conduct toward another person in violation of 18:1512(b)(3). She told her co-worker that one of the guards, Blake Haubrich, had cornered her and told her she needed to keep out of what goes on down there.. Sterling, Illinois passed away at 12:37 a.m. Sunday, July 5, 2020 at her residence. The statutory sentence for both conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death is any term of imprisonment up to life. Theyre good for you, right? For each count of conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct and obstruction, the maximum statutory penalty is up to 20 years in prison. Mills scheduled Heddens sentencing for July 21, though he agreed to consider Bass request to delay sentencing until after Sheffler and Bantas trial. U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois, Three Illinois Prison Guards Indicted on Charges of Inmate Assault Resulting in Death and Obstruction of the Investigation, Peoria Man Sentenced to Almost 22 years in Prison for Armed Bank Robbery, Vandalia, Missouri Man Sentenced to 144 months in Prison for Bank Robbery, Girard Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine and Possessing A Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, Three Illinois Prison Guards Indicted On Charges of Inmate Assault Resulting In Death and Obstruction of The Investigation. The use of excessive force violates that obligation and will in no way be tolerated. phone number (217) 773 . Specifically, the indictment charges Sheffler, Hedden and Banta with conspiracy to deprive civil rights (one count); deprivation of civil rights (one count); and conspiracy to obstruct justice (one count.). The victim, identified as Larry Earvin, 65, of Chicago, suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon, and other serious internal injuries, and died in June 2018. TEXT ORDER by U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins. Sterling, Illinois. ", The people of Illinois must have confidence in the constitutional integrity of the criminal justice system from the streets, to the courthouse, to corrections, stated ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. 2023 www.sj-r.com. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. One of three prison guards at the Western Illinois Correctional Center charged in connection with the 2018 beating death of an inmate has pleaded guilty. Follow Political Writer John OConnor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor, FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Illinois Department of Corrections shows Larry Earvin, a former inmate at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt Sterling, Ill. A state prison guard on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, pleaded guilty to federal felony charges related to the unprovoked 2018 beating death of Earvin. Attorneys Timothy Bass and Eugene Miller represent the state. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. . A status conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Corrections . Surgery to remove a portion of his bowel followed the injury. racist or sexually-oriented language. Chief Brian J. Gallaher. Click the Purchase Story button below to order a print of this story. A settlement hearing was held Jan. 27 at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois in Springfield, but no settlement was reached. Search Search. Contact Dean Olsen: dolsen@gannett.com; (217) 836-1068; twitter.com/DeanOlsenSJR. Hedden also. Rock Island: (309) 793-5884 Razor wire tops a fence at an Illinois Prison, 3 Illinois Prison Guards Indicted For Assault That Resulted In Prisoners Death, Family Suing After Alleged Prison Beating Death, Questions Remain About Illinois Prisoners Death, Inmate Dies After Altercation With Prison Staff, Death Ruled A Homicide. Fax (217) 773-2090. Willie Hedden, 42, of Mount Sterling, entered the plea to two counts of civil rights violations and one count of providing misleading information in the subsequent investigation of the May. A locked padlock Tim Pruett . An official website of the United States government. 535 Maine, Suite 4A (Illinois Department of Corrections via AP File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Earvin was airlifted from the prison, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, and died five weeks later at a southern Illinois prison infirmary. According to a prison record, she confided that shed known for a while about a spot in segregation where staff would take prisoners to beat them because there were no cameras. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. MOUNT STERLING, Ill. Jury selection for the trial of two former correctional guards charged in the 2018 death of an inmate in the Western Illinois Correctional Center will begin Wednesday. Hedden entered his pleas via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Richard Mills. Suspended for allegedly violating conduct standards were correctional Sgt. All officers are currently suspended. Sheffler, a 20-year veteran employee,earned $80,580 per year, and Banta, who was hired in 2014,was making $58,032 per year. Loves Park, IL (1) Morton, IL (1) Mount Sterling, IL (1) Peoria, IL (1) Rock Island, IL (1) Wayne City, IL (1) People Search; Hedden; William Hedden; Earvin suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon and other serious internal injuries. This afternoon, the court held a status hearing by videoconference for co-defendants Todd Sheffler, 52, of Mendon, Ill., and Alex Banta, 29, of Quincy, Ill. Lt. Todd Sheffler and Officer Alex Banta face similar charges in Mr. Earvins death. The guard, Sgt. U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois, Illinois Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to Inmate Assault that Resulted in Death. Sheffler and Banta are each charged with conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death, conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct, and two counts of obstruction of justice. Hedden, 43, of Mount Sterling pled guilty in March 2021 to conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights. Use the 'Report' link on She said the department cooperated fully with authorities and all staff were immediately placed on leave. A 42-year-old correctional officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal felony charges in the 2018 beating death of an inmate at Western Illinois Correctional Center. The other two officers still face charges of violating Earvins civil rights and obstruction for trying to cover up the incident and lying to investigators. An autopsy revealed he died of gunshot wounds. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Carroll Hedden to pay them a last tribute. Central District of Illinois Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey; FBI-Springfield Division Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox; and, Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly made the announcement. Willie Hedden to be sentenced in July. He has experience in magazines and newspaper writing, photography and design for publications in Florida and Illinois. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, the indictment. Earvin, who was serving a six-year sentence for robbery in Cook County and was scheduled to be paroled in September 2018, died at a Centralia Correctional Center hospital on June 26. Willie Hedden, 41; and Officer Alex Banta, 28, were arraigned in federal court in Springfield, Ill., on Friday afternoon for their roles in the May 17, 2018, assault. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Todd Sheffler, Willie Hedden, and Alex Banta, while acting under color of law of the State of Illinois, did willfully combine, conspire, confederate and agree to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate Larry Earvin the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, the indictment stated. Threats of harming another The death of an inmate following an "altercation with correctional staff" at Western Illinois Correctional Center in May has been ruled a homicide, according to an autopsy report provided to The . Bantas attorney, Howard Feldman, is asking the court to redact a text message or reference to a text message prosecutors said was sent about the assault but later deleted. The assault left Earvin with 15 broken ribs, a punctured colon and two dozen or more abrasions, hemorrhages and lacerations. Hedden's co-defendants, 52-year-old Todd Sheffler of Mendon and 29-year-old Alex Banta of Quincy, had a status hearing Tuesday afternoon by videoconference. The court scheduled trial for Sheffler and Banta on June 28, 2021. Earvin died from blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen in June 2018, six weeks after the beating. The assault occurred as Earvin was forcibly escorted from his residential unit at the prison to a separate, segregated housing unit. He persuaded a friend, who was a fellow prison employee, to delete a text he sent after the assault in which Hedden admitted to being involved in the assault. Official websites use .gov Corrections William Hedden Willie Hedden, could face up to life in prison on the civil rights counts, but avoided three obstruction charges as part of a plea deal that was reached during a videoconference hearing held by the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Ill. Peoria:(309) 671-7050 Don't Threaten. Sheffler and Banta have pled not guilty to the charges of: The Illinois Department of Corrections put Sheffler, 53, a lieutenant; Hedden, 43, a sergeant; and Banta, 30, a correctional officer, on suspension without pay pending judicial verdict in December 2019. After graduating from Eastern Illinois University design for publications in Florida and Illinois of this Story in misleading and! Sentencing for July 21, though he agreed to consider Bass request delay... 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