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July 19, 2012

Inmate gets year and day on conspiracy

Phillip Oliver pleaded guilty to beating fellow inmate for jailer

By Dylan Goforth Phoenix Staff Writer

— An inmate at the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility was sentenced Thursday in federal court on a conspiracy charge.

Phillip Oliver, 46, was sentenced to one year and one day to be followed by one year of supervised release for the orchestrated beating of another inmate in 2011.

Oliver pleaded guilty to the charge Jan. 11, admitting to punching another inmate, restrained in a different cell, in the face. Oliver said he assaulted the inmate at a jailer’s request.

“Excessive force by individuals sworn to uphold the law will not be tolerated,” said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute criminal civil rights violations whether committed directly by the hands of law enforcement or by inmates at the behest of law enforcement.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Roberts said the name of the inmate punched by Oliver was not released by the U.S. attorney’s office because of liability concerns.

The jailer, Jerrod Porter Lane, 26, pleaded guilty May 16 to his role in two incidents with the unnamed inmate. An indictment against Lane said Lane pepper sprayed the unnamed restrained inmate Oct. 1, then lied to FBI agents about his actions.

Lane faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for both the conspiracy and civil rights offenses.

On Oct. 6, 2011, Lane had Oliver beat up the inmate, Roberts said.

Lane’s indictment states he told Oliver to “go in there and do what you gotta do.”   

Lane promised Oliver he would cover for him if Oliver got in trouble for punching the inmate. Lane then popped open the restrained inmate’s cell door so Oliver could enter, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Lane is being held without bond at the Okmulgee County Detention Facility.

The date for Lane’s sentencing hasn’t been set, according to the court clerk’s office at the U.S. Courthouse.

Reach Dylan Goforth at (918) 684-2903 or dgoforth @muskogeephoenix.com.

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