Two U.S. Bureau of Prison correction officers were indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday for violating an inmate’s civil rights.
The federal grand jury brought indictment charges against correction officers William Houghton and Eddie Rodas-Castro for allegedly punching an inmate in the face. Rodas-Castro and Houghton are also facing charges for lying about the incident to prosecutors.
Both Houghton and Rodas-Castro were indicted for repeatedly striking an inmate in the head and face inside the Coleman Correctional Facility, southeast of Ocala, on March 22, 2014, according to the Department of Justice. The strikes caused the inmate injuries.
The correction officers were also charged with obstruction of justice by falsifying Bureau of Prison (BOP) reports and making false statements to federal investigators regarding the assault.
Houghton and Rodas-Castro pleaded not guilty in federal court.