PHILADELPHIA, PA — A federal jury convicted a Philadelphia correctional officer and his former supervisor of civil rights violations and falsifying records in connection with the assault of an inmate at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced.
Jahaan Andrews, 34, and Georgia Malloy, 58, both of Philadelphia, were found guilty following a trial on charges related to the October 6, 2020 incident.
Andrews served as a correctional officer at the facility, while Malloy was a lieutenant with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons who supervised him.
Federal prosecutors said Andrews detained a pretrial detainee in a holding room because the inmate was wearing the wrong color jumpsuit.
Authorities said Andrews and other officers later escorted the inmate to his cell to conduct a strip search and require him to change clothing.
Once inside the cell, prosecutors said the officers ordered the inmate to strip and then punched and kicked him repeatedly.
The inmate was knocked to the ground and later hospitalized with injuries to his face, ribs and scrotum and required emergency surgery, according to prosecutors.
A third correctional officer charged in the case, Oneil Murray, 31, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty earlier this month.
Prosecutors said that after the assault, officers were required to complete reports documenting any use of force before the end of their shift.
Authorities said Andrews and Murray wrote use-of-force reports and Malloy completed an investigation report that misrepresented the incident.
The reports exaggerated the inmate’s aggressiveness and minimized the level of force used, prosecutors said.
They also falsely stated that a correctional sergeant involved in the incident did not use force, according to court evidence.
Prosecutors said the defendants conspired in the weeks following the assault to falsify records in order to impede an FBI investigation.
“Correctional officers hold extraordinary power over those in their custody, and with that power comes a clear obligation to protect individuals’ rights while in custody,” Metcalf said.
“The defendants abused that authority by violently assaulting an inmate and then attempting to conceal their misconduct,” he said.
FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs said the case reflects the agency’s commitment to investigating abuses of authority.
“Let these convictions show that no law enforcement officer is above the law,” Jacobs said.
Andrews faces a maximum possible sentence of 35 years in prison.
Malloy faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Everett Witherell and Michael Miller are prosecuting the case.
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