After a trial, a federal jury has convicted a former Deputy U.S. Marshal of two counts accusing him of beating a federal prisoner and then making false statements to try to hide his crime.
Prosecutors alleged that Joshua Firmin was a Deputy U.S. Marshal back in February 2024 when he was told that a prisoner being held in a cell in the Lafayette federal courthouse had made some comments about him. Firmin went up to the cell, pulled the prisoner out and threw the victim - who was wearing handcuffs, ankle shackles and a belly chain - against a wall. The victim hit his head, and the wound required several staples to close, court documents allege.
Firmin then allegedly lied in a U.S. Marshals Service Operational Report, saying he was trying to stop the prisoner from spitting on him when the incident occurred. This, prosecutors alleged, was an intent to "impede, obstruct and influence the investigation and proper administration" of the DOJ's investigation.
The trial began on Monday, and the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on both counts.
Firmin's attorney, Kevin Stockstill, issued the following statement:
"We are disappointed in the verdict, however, we respect the process and the jury's verdict. There were a number of legal issues decided before and during the trial which we believe form the basis for a successful appeal, and Mr. Firmin's sentencing in the summer, we plan to take an appeal to the US. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit."
The Department of Justice issued this statement:
“When the defendant beat the victim without any lawful purpose or justification, he violated the Constitution and breached the public’s trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The jury’s verdict sends a clear message that all Americans — including prisoners — are entitled to basic human dignity.”
A release from the DOJ states that the evidence at trial established that on Feb. 9, 2024, Firmin was supervising prisoner custody operations at the U.S. District Court in Lafayette, Louisiana, when he assaulted the victim while the victim was restrained in handcuffs, a belly chain, and leg irons. Firmin opened a locked cell door, grabbed the victim by the collar, and struck the victim in the face with a ring of cell keys. Then Firmin pulled the victim out of the cell and shoved him forcefully against the cellblock wall. Because the victim was unable to brace himself or dampen his fall due to his restraints, the victim’s head struck the cellblock wall forcefully, resulting in a scalp injury that required staples to close. Firmin later wrote and submitted an official U.S. Marshals Service incident report in which he falsely stated that he used force in reaction to the victim attempting to spit on him.
The Office of the Inspector General, Houston Division, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
A conviction in the deprivation of rights statute carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The falsification of records charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. In general, criminal sentences in federal court are based on sentencing guidelines, which take a defendant's history, criminal history if any, education level and other factors into account to determine a sentencing range which the judge uses to determine the person's final sentence.
