By Amy Leigh Womack
The Macon Telegraph
MACON, Ga. — Four former Macon State Prison officers were sentenced in federal court Wednesday for their part in the beating of inmates in 2010 and subsequent cover-up.
Darren Douglass-Griffin, a former member of the prison’s Correctional Emergency Response Team, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit civil rights violations and falsification of records in 2012. He was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in prison, followed by a year on supervised release.
Addressing the judge during the hearing, Douglass-Griffin said, “I know I made a mistake. ... My judgement was off.”
Emmett McKenzie, another former officer at the prison, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit civil rights violations in 2012, and was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison followed by a year on supervised release.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about this incident, how it hurt so many people,” McKenzie said during the hearing.
He asked for forgiveness and said, “I made a mistake I pay for every day.”
Former CERT team member Kerry Bolden pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy in January 2014 and was sentenced Wednesday to nine months in prison followed by a year on supervised release.
“I don’t have no excuses,” Bolden told the judge. “I did the wrong thing.”
A fourth former officer, Kadarius Thomas, also pleaded guilty to falsifying records in 2013 and was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison followed by a year on supervised release.
Lawyers for each of the four men asked the judge to consider their client’s cooperation in the prosecution of their superiors at a trial held last June. They asked the judge to consider probation as a punishment instead of sending their clients to prison.
Family members also spoke on each man’s behalf.
In June, jurors found Christopher Hall, Ronald Lach Jr. and Delton Rushin each guilty of conspiring to obstruct an investigation and falsifying records. Lach additionally was found guilty of depriving an inmate of his rights.
Lach was sentenced to 90 months in prison. Hall received 72 months. Rushin received 60 months
Jurors acquitted two other officers -- Tyler Griffin and Derrick Wimbush -- and deputy warden James Hinton.
Sentencing still is pending for Willie Redden, a former officer who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit civil rights violations in 2012.