PANAMA CITY, FL—William F. Finch, 35, of Wauseau, Florida, and Dalton E. Riley, 24, of Bethlehem, Florida, pled guilty today to conspiring to violate the civil rights of an inmate at the Northwest Florida Reception Center (“NWFRC”), a state prison in Chipley, Florida. Their co-defendant, Robert L. Miller, 48, of Lynn Haven, Florida, pled guilty on April 1. The guilty pleas were announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

During their pleas, Finch, Riley, and Miller admitted to physically assaulting an inmate at NWFRC on August 5, 2014, without justification and causing the inmate bodily injury. To conceal the defendants’ actions, Finch falsified reports of the incident by falsely stating that the assault was in response to the inmate spitting on another officer.

Sentencing for Finch and Riley is scheduled for July 1, 2015, before United States District Judge Richard Smoak at the United States Courthouse, 30 West Government Street, Panama City, Florida. Sentencing for Miller is scheduled for June 17.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Corrections—Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gayle E. Littleton.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.