FORMER WEST VIRGINIA CORRECTIONAL OFFICER SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS FOR CONSPIRACY TO VIOLATE INMATES’ CIVIL RIGHTS

BEAVER, WEST VIRGINIA — Former Southern Regional Jail correctional officer Michael Pack, 40, was sentenced on October 30, 2026, to 24 months in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy involving the use of excessive and unjustified force against inmates, including pretrial detainees. The assaults were carried out as punishment or retaliation for perceived misconduct, with correctional officers taking deliberate steps to conceal their actions from surveillance cameras and falsify official reports.

Pack pleaded guilty on March 30, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn to one count of conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. § 371. According to court records, Pack admitted that he and other correctional officers targeted inmates they believed had violated jail rules, using physical assaults and other forms of force that were neither necessary nor legally justified.

The conspiracy involved moving inmates into designated areas of Southern Regional Jail known among the officers as blind spots. These locations were outside the coverage of surveillance cameras, allowing correctional staff to assault inmates without creating video evidence. Federal prosecutors established that the officers intentionally used these areas to avoid detection and accountability for their conduct.

In one incident, Pack admitted that he and his co-conspirators repeatedly struck a pretrial detainee and sprayed him with oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray, commonly known as pepper spray, as punishment for kicking his cell door. The force was used as retaliation rather than as a legitimate response to an immediate security threat.

Another incident involved a pretrial detainee who was taken into an interview room outside surveillance camera coverage. Although the detainee was handcuffed and posed no threat, other correctional officers struck and assaulted him. Pack witnessed the attack and failed to intervene despite having an opportunity to stop the unlawful use of force.

The conspiracy also included deliberate falsification of jail incident reports. Pack acknowledged that he and other officers prepared misleading accounts that denied unjustified uses of force and omitted injuries sustained by inmates. These reports were intended to prevent supervisors and investigators from discovering the assaults or identifying those responsible.

In an incident involving a pretrial detainee assaulted inside a blind-spot interview room, Pack submitted a false report that concealed the inmate’s transfer to the location. He also stated that the detainee had not been injured, despite witnessing the individual being escorted from the room while handcuffed and bleeding from the head. The false documentation concealed significant details about the circumstances and consequences of the assault.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division condemned Pack’s participation in the conspiracy, emphasizing that correctional officers entrusted with maintaining safety and security cannot use their authority to inflict unlawful punishment. Dhillon also acknowledged that most law enforcement officers perform their responsibilities with integrity while emphasizing accountability for those who violate constitutional protections.

The sentencing was announced by Dhillon and U.S. Attorney Moore Capito for the Southern District of West Virginia. The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office’s Charleston Resident Agency investigated the case. Trial Attorney Tenette Smith, former Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti, and former Trial Attorney Sam Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the matter in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

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