A former deputy from the Richmond County Sheriff's Office has admitted guilt to federal civil rights charges linked to an assault on a jail detainee. Dantavion Jones, aged 33, pleaded guilty to Deprivation of Civil Rights Under Color of Law. This plea could lead to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, substantial fines, restitution, and up to three years of supervised release after any prison term. Federal sentences do not include parole.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke of the FBI Atlanta Field Office.
According to the plea agreement, Jones was among personnel responding on May 7, 2022, at Richmond County’s Charles D. Webster Detention Center where inmates had caused flooding. The court documents identify a pretrial detainee as Victim 1 who "was handcuffed, face-down on the ground, and was not posing a threat to anyone." When another deputy shouted that the detainee wanted his handcuffs removed, a jailer failed to unlock them before Jones "then proceeded to unlock and remove the handcuffs from Victim 1." Subsequently, another deputy assaulted the detainee while Jones "failed to intervene to stop or attempt to stop the assault."
Two other former staff members from the Sheriff’s Office are also awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in this case: former Corporal Daniel D’Aversa and former jailer Melissa Morello.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will set Jones' sentencing date following a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
The FBI is investigating this case with prosecution led by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III and Anita T. Channapati from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.