BOP Lieutenant Indicted for Civil Rights Violations, Tampering with a Witness, and Falsifying a Document with Intent to Obstruct a Federal Investigation

On October 6, 2022, a BOP Lieutenant assigned to the United States Penitentiary Big Sandy (USP Big Sandy) in Inez, Kentucky, was charged via superseding Indictment with one count of civil rights violations, two counts of tampering with a witness, and two counts of falsifying a document with intent to obstruct a federal investigation.  Kevin Pearce was indicted in the Eastern District of Kentucky.  According to the superseding Indictment, on or about April 29, 2021, Pearce directed a BOP subordinate employee who witnessed an assault of an inmate to write a false report, and Pearce falsified a document with intent to obstruct the investigation of the assault by writing a memorandum intended to cover up the assault of the inmate.  Also according to the superseding Indictment, on or about March 30, 2021, Pearce willfully deprived another inmate of rights to be free from cruel and unusual punishment by assaulting the inmate in and between a housing unit and the special housing unit, falsified a document with intent to obstruct the investigation of the assault by writing an internal memorandum intended to cover up the assault of the inmate, and directed a BOP subordinate employee who witnessed the assault of the inmate to write a false report.  The investigation is being conducted by the OIG’s Lexington Domicile Office and the FBI.