Federal Civil Rights Charges Against Former Santa Rosa Correctional Institution Officer

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Andrew J. Femmer, 29, of Tampa, Florida, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for depriving an inmate his right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment as well as for falsifying official reports, announced Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida today.

The indictment alleges that on or about July 14, 2019, Femmer “did assault and strike” the inmate, which resulted in “bodily injury.”  It is further alleged that Femmer “covered up” his actions by falsely reporting that he only used “the minimum amount of force necessary” when carrying out his duties.

Femmer made his initial appearance on the indictment in Tampa today, and an arraignment is set for September 14, 2021, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Inspector General for the Florida Department of Corrections. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Kaitlin Weiss.   

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. 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.