Former State Trooper Sentenced in Federal Court

Christopher Gary Hughes, a former Mississippi Highway Patrol state trooper, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to 33 months’ imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release. In addition, Hughes agreed that he would never seek future employment in law enforcement.

Hughes pleaded guilty in February of this year to charges that, in October of 2007, while acting under color of law, he assaulted a female, causing bodily injury to her and thereby wilfully depriving her of a right secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 242.

Felicia C. Adams, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, stated, “A law enforcement officer who abuses his authority by depriving citizens of their civil rights not only violates the law but also the public trust. Today’s sentence demonstrates that Hughes’ actions undermine the rule of law and will not be tolerated. While the vast majority of law enforcement officers are hardworking professionals who risk their lives daily for our safety, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to aggressively prosecuting those officers who violate the public trust and the constitutional rights of individuals in their custody.”

“Law enforcement officers receive certain powers from the government so they can defend the rights of the people and prevent wrongdoing. When individuals working in an official capacity abuse that power, they undermine the hard work of all law enforcement and judicial officials. The FBI is charged, by federal statute, with investigating those officers who abuse the trust placed in them and did so in this case. I appreciate the cooperation and professional handling of this matter by the investigators, the prosecutors, and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. “

This incident was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Mississippi.